Francis Zavier Ngannou is a Cameroonian and French professional mixed martial artist and professional boxer. He was born on 5 September 1986 and currently competes in the Heavyweight division.
๐ Early Life and Background
Ngannou was born and raised in the village of Batiรฉ, Cameroon. He lived in poverty and had little formal education growing up. His parents divorced when he was six years old, and he was sent to live with his aunt.
At 10 years old, Ngannou started working in a sand quarry in Batiรฉ because of a lack of funds. As a youngster, he was approached by several gangs but refused to join them. He used his father’s negative reputation as a street fighter as motivation to pursue boxing.
๐๏ธ Journey to MMA
At age 22, Ngannou began training in boxing despite his family’s initial reluctance. After training for a year, he stopped due to an illness. At age 26, he decided to head to Paris, France, to pursue professional boxing.
Upon reaching Europe, he was jailed for two months in Spain for illegally crossing the border. After reaching Paris, he had no money, no friends, and no place to live. He lived homeless on the streets before finding a boxing club where he met coach Didier Carmont.
Carmont convinced the gym to let him train at no cost and introduced Ngannou to MMA. Fernand Lopez saw his potential in MMA and convinced him to try it. Lopez gave Ngannou MMA gear and allowed him to train and sleep at the gym for no cost.
โ๏ธ UFC Career Beginnings
Ngannou started his MMA career in November 2013, fighting mostly in French promotions. He compiled a record of 5โ1 before signing with the UFC. He made his UFC debut on 19 December 2015 against Luis Henrique, winning via knockout in the second round.
He next faced Curtis Blaydes on 10 April 2016, winning via TKO due to doctor stoppage. He then faced Bojan Mihajloviฤ on 23 July 2016, winning via TKO in the first round. He faced Anthony Hamilton on 9 December 2016, winning by submission and earning his first UFC Performance of the Night bonus.
๐ฅ Rise to Prominence
Ngannou faced Andrei Arlovski on 28 January 2017, winning via TKO in the first round. In 2017, he set the world record for the hardest punch ever recorded on the PowerKube at 129,161 franklin. He faced Alistair Overeem on 2 December 2017 at UFC 218, winning via knockout in the first round.
Ngannou faced Stipe Miocic for the UFC Heavyweight Championship on 20 January 2018 at UFC 220, losing via unanimous decision. He faced Derrick Lewis on 7 July 2018 at UFC 226, losing via unanimous decision in a fight heavily criticized for lack of offense.
๐ Championship and Departure
Ngannou faced Curtis Blaydes in a rematch on 24 November 2018, winning via TKO early in the first round. He headlined UFC on ESPN 1 against Cain Velasquez on 17 February 2019, winning via knockout in the first round. He faced Junior dos Santos on 29 June 2019, winning via technical knockout in the first round.
A rematch between Miocic and Ngannou for the UFC Heavyweight Championship took place on 27 March 2021 at UFC 260. Ngannou won via knockout in the second round. He faced Ciryl Gane for his first title defense on 22 January 2022 at UFC 270, winning by unanimous decision.
On 14 January 2023, the UFC Heavyweight Championship was stripped from Ngannou after he and the UFC could not come to terms on a new contract. Ngannou stated he had requested health insurance, sponsorship ability for all fighters, and a fighter advocate during contract negotiations. When his requests were denied, he chose not to re-sign.
๐ PFL and Boxing Career
On 16 May 2023, Ngannou signed a multi-fight deal with the Professional Fighters League (PFL). He competed in their pay-per-view “super fight” division while being free to compete in other sports. He also negotiated on behalf of his opponents, guaranteeing them at least $2 million.
Ngannou faced Tyson Fury in a professional boxing match on 28 October 2023 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He knocked down Fury in the third round, but the judges awarded Fury the victory in a controversial split decision. As a result, Ngannou was ranked #10 by the WBC.
Ngannou faced Anthony Joshua on 8 March 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and lost by second-round knockout. He faced Renan Ferreira for the PFL Super Fights Heavyweight Championship on 19 October 2024, winning by knockout via ground punches in the first round.
โค๏ธ Personal Life and Foundation
Ngannou speaks Ghomala’, French, and English. He learned English after joining the UFC. On April 29, 2024, Ngannou announced that his 15-month-old son Kobe had died. The cause of death was a brain malformation.
In April 2025, Ngannou was reportedly involved in a motorcycle accident in Yaoundรฉ, Cameroon, that resulted in the death of a 17-year-old girl. Ngannou allegedly transported the girl to the hospital and covered her medical expenses, but she died from her injuries.
The Francis Ngannou Foundation runs the first MMA gym in Cameroon and donates educational materials to Cameroonian children and schools. In January 2024, the foundation claimed to have 26,000 beneficiaries.
| Event | Opponent | Result | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| UFC on Fox 17 | Luis Henrique | Win (KO) | 2015 |
| UFC Fight Night 86 | Curtis Blaydes | Win (TKO) | 2016 |
| UFC 220 | Stipe Miocic | Loss (Decision) | 2018 |
| UFC 260 | Stipe Miocic | Win (KO) | 2021 |