Does Francis Ngannou speak French? A look into the languages 'The Predator' speaks

Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou is one of the most interesting fighters in all of combat sports, and it mostly has to do with his life outside of the cage.

Ngannou's journey to becoming one of the most successful MMA fighters of all time is well documented. 'The Predator' grew up in Cameroon in extreme poverty with almost no access to education, forcing him to work in sand mines at a very young age to help his family. When he discovered MMA, Ngannou had almost no money, and failure was not an option.

Today, Francis Ngannou is fluent in both English and French. Not only is French a common language in Cameroon, but he also spent some time living in France, where he was first introduced to MMA by his former longtime coach, Fernand Lopez.

Francis Ngannou had not always known how to speak English, but he felt it was necessary after entering the UFC. Not only did Ngannou know that English-speaking fighters were much more popular among MMA fans, but the fighter knew he wanted to move to the United States to take his career to the next level.

In 2017, 'The Predator' permanently relocated to Las Vegas to train under Eric Nicksick at XTreme Couture, where he remains to this day.

Nicksick's influence on Francis Ngannou has undeniably been beneficial for his career, as together, they were able to capture UFC gold. As the former heavyweight champion prepares to box WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury on October 28, he trains with high-level boxing coaches but remains stationed with Nicksick and XTreme Couture.

However, Ngannou always stays true to his roots. He regularly does interviews in French for local media and keeps his presence strong in both France and Cameroon.

Check out this interview Ngannou did in French from 2019: