Francis Ngannou

Francis "The Predator" Ngannou is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion with a professional record of 17 wins and 3 losses. He holds the record for the highest punching power ever measured by the UFC.

Latest News Update for Francis Ngannou

Francis Ngannou will no longer be a part of UFC, as his contract has been terminated and he is no longer the heavyweight champion. This is due to him rejecting an offer that would have made him the highest-earning heavyweight fighter in UFC history, according to Dana White, the President of UFC, who made this announcement in a press conference on Saturday.

“We offered Ngannou a deal that would make him the highest-paid heavyweight of all time,” said White. “He turned it down. We’re going to release him from his contract. He can go wherever he wants and do whatever he wants.”

Francis Ngannou Facts

Early Life and Career

Francis Ngannou was born in Cameroon, where he lived in poverty with little formal education. At age 6, Francis went to live with his aunt due to his parent's divorce, and by age 10, he started working in the stone quarry of Batié.

Taking inspiration from the negative reputation of his father, Ngannou, wanted to do something positive and picked up boxing at age 22, but left in a year due to an illness.

The turning point in Ngannou's life came when he reached Paris after being released from his 2-month imprisonment in Spain for illegally crossing the Moroccan-Spanish border. In Paris, Francis met Fernand Lopez who allowed him to train MMA and sleep at the gym for free.

Francis started his MMA career in November 2013 and made his debut at 100% Fight Contenders 20 against Rachid Benzina. Ngannou submitted Benzina inside 2 minutes via armbar. He lost his next fight against Zoumana Cisse by unanimous decision before returning to winning ways with KO victories over Bilal Tahtahi and William Baldutti. He submitted Nicolas Specq and Luc Ngeleka in his next two bouts to amass a record of 5-1.

Ngannou left the French MMA circuit in 2015 to join the UFC.

Francis Ngannou UFC

Francis Ngannou made his UFC debut in 2015 at UFC on Fox 17 against Luis Henrique Barbosa de Oliveira, who he defeated in the 2nd round via knockout. Following this victory, Ngannou went on a dominant run in the UFC and won his next 5 fights, beating the likes of Curtis Blaydes, Andrei Arlovski, and Alistair Overeem before getting a UFC heavyweight championship title shot against Stipe Miocic at UFC 220.

Stipe Miocic outclassed Ngannou throughout the bout, exposing his poor wrestling and limited gas tank. Miocic secured a unanimous decision victory to give Ngannou his first loss in the UFC. Ngannou then came up short in his next fight against Derrick Lewis at UFC 226 to extend his losing streak to 2.

He bounced back from the back-to-back losses in style, as he defeated Curtis Blaydes in their rematch at UFC Fight Night 141. He then proceeded to knock out UFC legend Cain Velasquez in 26 seconds, Junior dos Santos in 71 seconds, and Jairzinho Rozenstruik in 20 seconds to earn a second title shot against Stipe Miocic at UFC 260. This time, Ngannou easily stuffed Miocic's takedown attempt and KO'ed him in the 2nd round to become the new UFC heavyweight champion.

Stipe Miocic vs. Francis Ngannou 2

Francis Ngannou fought Stipe Miocic for the second time at UFC 260 for the UFC heavyweight belt. Ngannou showed patience in the first round of the fight as he looked to tag Miocic instead of throwing in haymakers. Ngannou didn't overcommit to any attack and instead connected with low kicks, a takedown, and landed clean strikes to secure the first round.

The pace increased in the second round when Ngannou caught Miocic with a straight left followed by a that knocked down Miocic. He finished the bout with a big hammer fist to become the new UFC heavyweight champion.

Credit: MMA Fighting

Francis Career Stats

Current Status:

Francis Ngannou's current professional record stands at 17-3. His contract with the UFC has been terminated and he is no longer the UFC Heavyweight Champion.

Win-Loss-Draw

Wins by Knockout:

1. 12

Wins by Submission:

1. 4

Wins by Decision:

1. 1

Current Titles:

1. None

Reach:

1. 83 in(210.83cm)

Weight:

1. 255lbs/116kg

Weight Class:

1. Heavyweight

Francis Ngannou Last Fight

Francis Ngannou's last fight was against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270. Ngannou won the bout via unanimous decision.

Francis Ngannou Next Fight

Francis Ngannou's next fight is yet to be decided.

Francis Ngannou Record

Below is the MMA and UFC professional record of Francis "The Predator" Ngannou:

FAQs On Francis Ngannou

What is Francis Ngannou's professional record?

Ngannou has a professional MMA record of 17 wins and 3 losses.

What was Francis Ngannou's most notable achievement in UFC?

Ngannou won the UFC Heavyweight Championship on March 27, 2021, by defeating Stipe Miocic via TKO in the second round.

What is Francis Ngannou's fighting style?

Ngannou is known for his powerful striking and knockout power. He has a background in boxing and is considered one of the hardest hitters in the UFC.

What is Francis Ngannou's nickname?

Francis Ngannou is also known as "The Predator"

Why was Francis Ngannou stripped of his UFC Heavyweight Championship?

Ngannou was stripped of his UFC Heavyweight Championship because he turned down a contract that would have made him the highest-paid heavyweight fighter in UFC history, according to UFC President Dana White.

*Last Updated 16th January 2023