Arriving illegally in France in 2013, Francis Ngannou today goes head-to-head with the greatest fighters of MMA, a discipline combining the techniques of judo, karate, jiu-jitsu and Thai boxing. The 32-year-old Cameroonian now earns his living from the sport in Las Vegas. InfoMigrants retraces the path that took the champion from sleeping in a Parisian parking lot to his extraordinary destiny.
“I always knew that one day I would be a great boxer,” Francis Ngannou says. Considering his size, no one would doubt that statement. He is nearly 6-foot-8 tall and weighs 260 pounds. His name might not ring any bells, but in just a few years Francis Ngannou has become recognized in his discipline MMA (mixed martial arts) – a combat sport that combines jiu-jitsu, karate, judo and Thai boxing.
Ranked fourth in the world, the “Predator,” as he calls himself, is currently in Paris training for his next fight, which will be held in China on November 24. The event will be of historic proportions; though it is still little-known in France, MMA is hugely popular in the United States, and fights are aired on television and watched by millions of viewers.
It’s no wonder then that his lifestyle is one of luxury, starting with the house he owns in Las Vegas. Today, Ngannou is all bling, sporting a gold watch, light pink loafers that match his sweater and a fancy Canadian down parka. His life has radically changed.
Ngannou’s life is an unlikely success story. Born in Cameroon in 1986, the boxer had a difficult childhood. The second child in a family of five, he was shifted from house to house after his parents divorced when he was only six years old. “I changed schools all the time, and sometimes even transferred in the middle of the year because I went to stay with a different uncle,” he says. At the age of 10, Ngannou began working on his first “little job.” It wasn’t the easiest one either: he worked in a sand quarry in his native village, Batié, in the Cameroonian highlands, to be able to pay for his schooling. It was an exhausting job for a child.
A few years later, Ngannou moved to Douala and, at the age of 22, began boxing at a small club in the city. “I don’t really know why,” he says, “The sport isn’t even known in Cameroon.” But before long, he sold everything he owned to support and follow his new passion. The young man sacrificed his motorcycle to buy his first set of sport equipment. “Everybody told me I was crazy. It was a delusion to my family,” he says in a soft voice that contrasts with his stature.
This rough patch experienced by the champ helped in shapen the man/star and role model he has today. Hopefully one day, we as Cameroonians will witnessed the crowning of the “Predator” as world heavy weight champion.
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