Francis Ngannou goes back to sand mining after recent UFC exit

Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou has returned to his roots after exiting the world's largest MMA promotion.

'The Predator' used to work in the sand mines of Cameroon before migrating to France to start his combat sports journey. Many believe Ngannou has his sand mining days to thank for his superhuman-esque physicality.

Ngannou recently vacated his heavyweight strap and broke ties with the UFC, failing to agree on a new contract after a lengthy negotiation. 'The Predator' has now returned to the sand mines of Cameroon, expertly shoveling sand into a truck.

However, the former UFC heavyweight champion is now sand mining for exercise while it once used to be his bread and butter. Posting several pictures of himself hard at work, Francis Ngannou wrote in an Instagram post:

"I used to do this for survival. Now it’s just a fun workout"

Ngannou took up sand mining at the age of 10 to put food on his family's table. He continued with the back-breaking work for seven years till he graduated from school. 'The Predator' went on to drive a taxi for several years before making a 14-month journey to Europe to change his life forever.

While Ngannou has scaled heights he likely never imagined, 'The Predator' does some sand mining with his friends every time he is home.

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Scott Coker explains why Bellator makes sense for Francis Ngannou's future

Francis Ngannou has been courted by every relevant MMA promotion since turning into a free agent after his UFC exit. Bellator is also trying its best to secure 'The Predator,' with company president Scott Coker making a detailed pitch recently.

Coker noted that Bellator's parent company, Viacom, also owns Showtime Boxing, which will allow Ngannou to enter the squared circle. With 'The Predator' openly plotting a boxing fight with Tyson Fury, Coker's proposition may need to be considered. The Bellator chief said ahead of Bellator 291:

"From my perspective, then you talk about signing him to Bellator, we’re also talking about having a conversation with him and Stephen [Espinoza], which happened earlier this week, about getting into Showtime pay-per-view boxing, too. I think we have a great company to offer him both sides of the combat sports business that he would like to, which is fight MMA and also box. I think we’re a great fit. There’s ongoing discussions, so we’ll see what happens.”

Catch Coker's comments on Francis Ngannou below: