Looking back at the three times Francis Ngannou has been defeated in MMA

Francis Ngannou is a day away from taking on Tyson Fury in the most daunting challenge of his career. The two will clash tomorrow in a massive crossover match set to take place in the squared circle of boxing. It will be unfamiliar territory for Ngannou, and many expect him to suffer the most lopsided loss of his career.

After all, the former UFC heavyweight champion is no boxer. He is an MMA fighter with nuclear power in each fist. While anyone has a puncher's chance, it won't be Tyson Fury's first time dealing with a fearsome knockout artist capable of shutting anyone's lights out, and Ngannou won't even be the most skilled one he's faced.

With many predicting a loss for Ngannou, it is not only worth considering the three losses he has suffered in his career but to whom he has lost.

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Francis Ngannou vs. Zoumana Cisse

Back in 2013, Francis Ngannou picked up MMA, not out of love but necessity. He started training in August, and then earned his professional license a few months afterward. This level of inexperience was evident when he took on Zoumana Cisse at 100% Fight: Contenders 21 on December 14, 2013.

Ngannou was in desperate need of money and swung wildly, with full intent to behead his opponent, even dropping him in round two. However, Cisse swung back, pressing forward and scoring a takedown before threatening Ngannou with submissions on the mat.

While Ngannou also had his own moments on the ground, it wasn't enough. After two rounds, his opponent was declared the winner via unanimous decision in what was only Ngannou's second MMA fight.

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Francis Ngannou vs. Stipe Miocic

After December 14, 2013, Francis Ngannou went on a tear in the heavyweight division. He tightened up his striking and grappling and embarked on a win streak that left him UFC-bound. Upon signing with the promotion, he either flatlined or submitted everyone put in front of him in a warpath.

After knocking out Alistair Overeem with a viral uppercut, he faced then-reigning UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic at UFC 220 in the first of two bouts between the pair. While a UFC title win was in his future, he was yet ready and was thoroughly dominated by the more experienced Miocic.

Ngannou's worst tendencies were on full display. Drunk on his own punching power, he tried to knock Miocic out with every punch, overextending, only to be stung by counterpunches and taken down across five rounds. After 25 minutes, he was exhausted, and Miocic was declared the winner.

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Francis Ngannou vs. Derrick Lewis

The third and final loss of Francis Ngannou's career came against Derrick Lewis. The bout took place right after his failure against Stipe Miocic. Traumatized by the depths of exhaustion he had experienced at UFC 220, Ngannou was in the wrong mental space ahead of his UFC 226 bout with Lewis.

Worse still, both men were counterpunchers. So when they met inside the octagon, their clash was not as advertised. Instead, it was an extremely low-volume affair that saw neither man do much. Both were timid, and a bout between the sport's most fearsome knockout artists ended with a whimper.

At the end, Lewis was declared the winner by unanimous decision, but only because he'd done just a little more than Ngannou. He tried to win. But that bout marked the last time that Francis Ngannou didn't try hard enough, as he rebounded with a thunderous win streak that culminated in championship success.