Francis Ngannou

The knockout artist who brought down his fiercest competitor in the heavyweight division, Francis Ngannou, is known for his powerful dominance in combat sports. A mixed martial artist and now a professional boxer whose meteoric rise led him to knock on the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s (UFC) door just after fighting in five professional mixed martial arts bouts, he proved himself worth every penny while fighting in the organization. Prior to that, he fought in a French promotion and some regional promotions where he demolished most of his opponents, besides suffering a defeat in the initial leg of his professional mixed martial arts journey.

After amassing a dominant six-fight win streak with the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Francis Ngannou skyrocketed himself into the top contenders of the heavyweight division. A few of his losses only motivated him to come back stronger and clinch the UFC heavyweight title on March 7, 2021. His reign continued until the promotion stripped him of the title in January 2023, after he chose to leave the organization due to differences with UFC President, Dana White.

Francis Ngannou is now exploring his prospects inside the squared circle. He went head-to-head against one of the leading heavyweight and undefeated professional boxers, Tyson Fury on October 28, 2023, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Ngannou lost a close-contested fight by split decision in his inaugural professional boxing match. His first professional boxing showdown proved to make his case even stronger, as many believed that he had defeated Tyson Fury in Riyadh in October last year. Owing to his raw exhibition of power inside the squared circle against Fury, Ngannou got an opportunity to lock horns with Anthony Joshua on March 8, 2024, at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh Saudi Arabia. Joshua knocked out Ngannou in the second round to win the fight and handed him the second loss of his professional boxing career. He is now scheduled to return to professional mixed martial arts to take on Renan Fereira on October 19, 2024, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for the inaugural PFL Heavyweight Superfight Championship.

Francis Ngannou's Personal Information

Francis Ngannou's Early Life

Francis Ngannou was born in Batie, Cameroon, on September 5, 1986, to Emmanuel Fosso and Mamma Ngannou. He had a tough childhood where he had to endure poverty, which compelled him to do hard labor to sustain himself. Ngannou gradually moved to France to pursue a career in combat sports. He was initially interested in boxing but later switched to mixed martial arts. Francis Ngannou made a career in the sport with the passage of time. He was raised in his native Cameroonian village of Batie; his hostile financial situation also affected his education, and he couldn’t receive much formal education.

Francis Ngannou's Personal Life

Francis Ngannou was born and brought up in his native village, Batie, Cameroon, in 1986. He had a rough time as a child. Ngannou couldn’t afford much formal education due to a lack of financial resources and was forced to drop out of school. His parents parted ways when he was six years old. At an age as young as 10, Ngannou was forced to work in a sand quarry to support himself financially.

Francis Ngannou's Wife/Girlfriend

Francis Ngannou, by and large, is single. The former UFC heavyweight champion has not spoken much about his personal life in the media or on his social media accounts.

Francis Ngannou's Kids

Francis Ngannou had a son named Kobe. He passed away after a brief spell of illness and the news of his demise was broke in April 2024. He was 15 at the time of his death.

Francis Ngannou's Social Media

Francis Ngannou uses popular social media platforms like Elon Musk’s X and Meta-owned Instagram and Facebook to keep his fans posted. The links to his respective profiles can be found here:

• X

• Instagram

• Facebook

Francis Ngannou's Net Worth

Francis Ngannou is estimated to have an estimated net worth of $15 million.

Francis Ngannou's Endorsements

Francis Ngannou has signed endorsement deals with brands like The Fight Game, Cryo Pain Relief, Gym King Fight Division, and CBD Research Labs.

Francis Ngannou's Investments

Francis Ngannou has invested in a nutritious snack brand, PeaTos, of which he is a minority shareholder. Besides that, following his Ultimate Fighting Championship exit, he signed a lucrative deal with the rival Professional Fighters League in 2023.

Francis Ngannou's MMA Record

Francis Ngannou has a professional mixed martial arts record of 17 wins and 3 losses as of October 2024. He made his professional MMA debut in 2013 against Rachid Benzina at 100% Fight: Contenders 20. Ngannou defeated Benzina via submission in the first round. He signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on December 19, 2015, against Luis Henriques at UFC on FOX: dos Anjos vs. Cowboy 2. Ngannou prevailed in his inaugural fight for the organization by defeating Henriques via KO in the second round.

Francis Ngannou's MMA Losses

Francis Ngannou has lost three fights in his professional career, which comprises twenty fights as of now. His first loss came early in his career when he was fighting his second fight at 100% Fight: Contenders 21 against Zoumanna Cisse via unanimous decision; he encountered his second loss against UFC heavyweight legend Stipe Miocic at UFC 220 via unanimous decision. Ngannou’s third loss came against Derrek Lewis at UFC 226 by unanimous decision. Francis Ngannou squared off against Stipe Miocic in a heavyweight title showdown again at UFC 260. He defeated Miocic via KO in the second round and avenged his loss by winning the heavyweight title.

Francis Ngannou's Championships Won

Francis Ngannou is the former heavyweight champion in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He won the heavyweight title by defeating Stipe Miocic on March 27, 2021, at UFC 260 by a second-round KO. His reign lasted until January 14, 2013, when the UFC stripped him of the title. During Ngannou’s championship reign, he defended the heavyweight title once against the French martial artist and top UFC heavyweight competitor, Ciryl Gane, at UFC 270. Gane was defeated by Ngannou via a unanimous decision to continue his run as the champion of the highest weight division in the promotion.

Francis Ngannou's Contract

Francis Ngannou signed a contract with the Professional Fighters League (PFL) after exiting the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). On May 16, 2023, it was publicly announced that the former UFC heavyweight title holder, Ngannou, signed a deal with its rival promotion, the PFL. The contract allows Ngannou to compete in PFL’s pay-per-view superfight division and have the freedom to compete inside a squared circle. According to the announcement, Ngannou was also made a part of PFL’s global advisory board for fighters’ interests and an equity owner and chairman of the future PFL Africa League.

Before signing with the PFL, the negotiations between the UFC management and Francis Ngannou failed to break the ice. His contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) ended in December 2022. The promotion, after failing to get Ngannou on board, waived its one-year matching rights stipulation, turning him into a free agent.

Francis Ngannou's Diet

To maintain his muscular and well-built physique, Francis Ngannou prefers having free-range chicken besides eating salmon and beef, subject to his prescribed diet plan. To derive healthy fats and energy, Ngannou adds almonds, cashews, and pistachios to his diet.

Francis Ngannou's Cars

Having made it big in professional mixed martial arts, Francis Ngannou owns a Rolls-Royce Phantom VII, a luxury saloon that is powered by a huge 6.75-liter V-12 engine. Besides that, Ngannou’s garage is also graced by another luxury car, the Rolls-Royce Ghost, which derives power from a 6.6-liter petrol engine. Francis Ngannou also owns a Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG.