Born on September 5, 1986, in the Batie Village of Cameroon, Francis Ngannou did not have the easiest of upbringings. His parents divorced when he was just six years old, and he went to live with his Auntie. Upon reaching double digits, he began working in a sand quarry and, despite only being a child, worked for a number of years until he made the difficult decision to leave his native country and travel to France.
Numerous trials and tribulations followed, and Ngannou began training in mixed martial arts shortly after reaching Paris. He went on to become one of the biggest stars in the UFC, winning the heavyweight championship following a victory over the acclaimed Stipe Miocic.
Fast forward three years later, and Ngannou is on the brink of becoming one of the biggest boxing stars on the planet. Standing in his way is the former two-time world heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua, and the pair will battle it out in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, this coming weekend (March 8).
Take a look at the video below, which details the incredible journey of Francis Ngannou, detailing how he got to where he is today, from humble beginnings to becoming a mountain man (quite literally) in the world of combat sports.
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