MMA

FRANCIS NGANNOU’S rags to riches story is destined for the big screen – and he has a British movie icon in mind to play him. Ngannou was raised in Batie, Cameroon, by a single mum who split from his feared street fighter dad when he was six.
Francis Ngannou was born and raised in Batie, CameroonCredit: @francisngannou
Ngannou was raised in poverty before making his break
The future world champion fighter was working in the sand mines from the age of tenCredit: @francisngannou
The future world champion fighter was working in the sand mines from the age of ten, earning just £1.50 a DAY.
He began training at 22 with the dreams of becoming a professional boxer but found his options exhausted in Africa.
So at 26, he made the life-changing decision to emigrate to France in a journey that took over ONE YEAR.
Ngannou opened up on his breakaway in an exclusive interview with SunSport in Saudi Arabia and said: “It was always tough.
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“That was a 14-month journey and what I do remember is that every step was tough.
“You get from the first step, you think that you have seen it all and then the next step you have the same feeling, over and over.”
Ngannou started his trip from Cameroon to Nigeria – where there is an open border between the two – but ran into trouble in Niger, where he needed a visa.
He managed to cram himself into a pick-up truck with 25 people, as they crossed the Sahara desert to get to Algeria.
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From there, he managed to obtain an illegal passport to enter Mali and then proceeded through to Morocco, where things got really tough.
Ngannou lived in the woods and would fend off rats to eat food out of bins to survive before attempting to get into Spain.
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There, he was caught and imprisoned but due to his false passport, Spanish authorities were unable to deport him or keep him behind bars.
Finally, Ngannou made it to France via train and it was there his journey ended and his fight career started.
The journey was symbolic of Ngannou’s career – showing hope, courage, strength and character.
He said: “The one thing that I do know for sure, there was not even a plan of going back or giving up. It was for me, my pride that was on the line.
“And I don’t know, I watch a movie that I love so much and it says, ‘Better die for something than live for nothing.'”
Ngannou initially wanted to pursue boxing in France but found it easier to find MMA fights, debuting as a pro in 2013.
Fast forward eight years and he won the UFC heavyweight title and made one successful defence of the belt.
But last year, he made yet another life-changing decision.
Ngannou left Cameroon at the age of 26Credit: @francisngannou
Here is Ngannou returning to his routes in the sand minesCredit: @francisngannou
Ngannou’s journey to France took over a yearCredit: @francisngannou
Ngannou walked out on the UFC as the reigning world champion to gamble on a move to boxing – as his theme of risky business continued.
He said of his incredible life story: “Scariest moment? There was a lot of them. Stand out? I dunno.
“Maybe when the inflatable boat was being put out into the ocean without knowing how to swim.
“Maybe when I was running from border control. Maybe when you stand against a giant institution like the UFC. There’s a lot of moments.”
Ngannou was offered $10million (£8m) to stay in the UFC for a super-fight with Jon Jones.
He turned it down after they refused him the freedom to box and fight in MMA at the same time and chose not to extend his UFC deal.
Ngannou, who signed for rivals the Professional Fighters League, had come too far and seen too much to give up on his boxing dream.
He said: “Life is a risk. I have risked my life, so my life really is worth more than $10million.
“So many times I had to make a lot of choices and take a lot of risks to get here.
Ngannou pictured training back homeCredit: @francisngannou
The Cameroonian only began training aged 22Credit: @francisngannou
Ngannou had to live in the woods during his journey to FranceCredit: @francisngannou
“There is a quote in our country, it says, ‘You can’t make an omelette without sacrificing eggs.'”
Ngannou’s roll of the dice has paid off big time, having landed a boxing fight with Tyson Fury in October.
He even floored Fury, 35, only to lose a controversial split-decision.
But the shock performance earned him another mega-money bout in the ring, this time against Anthony Joshua, 34, on March 8.
His pair of boxing bouts are set to bank the heavyweight hero over £20MILLION.
It is the latest act in a remarkable story fit for Hollywood – and Ngannou has already earmarked boxing-mad Idris Elba to play him.
He said: “I always thought about one person in mind, it was actually Idris Elba.”
Most people could never have foreseen Ngannou’s move into boxing resulting in back-to-back blockbusters.
But Ngannou – ever one step ahead – is not most people.
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He said: “I don’t think anything is guaranteed in life but I think everything is possible, so yes, I did think this could happen.
“Otherwise, I wouldn’t leave my career in the UFC as a champion to take this route if I wasn’t certain it was going to happen.” 
Ngannou wants British actor Idris Elba to portray his life in a movieCredit: Handout
Ngannou made his boxing debut against Tyson FuryCredit: Reuters
Anthony Joshua fights Ngannou on March 8Credit: Alamy
The ex-UFC champ in training to fight JoshuaCredit: @francisngannou
Ngannou is now signed to MMA promotion PFLCredit: @francisngannou More

FRANCIS NGANNOU’S return to MMA has been CONFIRMED – and he has personally made sure his next opponent receives a huge payday. Ngannou put his cage career on hold last year to make a switch to boxing, where he has bagged himself back to back blockbusters.
Francis Ngannou’s MMA return has been confirmedCredit: AFP

But amid his ugly UFC exit, the heavyweight superstar instead struck a deal with the Professional Fighters League.
The PFL gave Ngannou the green light to pursue his boxing ambitions while scouting for the right name to welcome him back to MMA.
And now they have announced the winner between Saturday night’s bout between Renan Ferreira and Ryan Bader will end the search.
Ngannou made his boxing debut in October against Tyson Fury, 35, scoring a stunning knockdown only to lose a controversial split-decision.

But still he fights Anthony Joshua, 34, next on March 8 back in Saudi Arabia with his boxing earnings set to reach around £20MILLION.
Ngannou is in Riyadh training for the bout and will be cageside to watch Ferreira, 34, and Bader, 40, headline the PFL vs Bellator event.
And thanks to the Cameroonian, not only will the winner earn bragging rights and a belt but also a future $2m (£1.5m) purse.
That is because when Ngannou entered talks with the PFL, he demanded his opponent be financially rewarded.
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PFL founder Donn Davis told SunSport: “The actual story is, Francis said, ‘I want my opponent taken care of. Too many people don’t think about their opponent.’
“And we said great, we’ll guarantee your opponent $1million.’ And Francis said, ‘I appreciate that but how about $2m?’
EXCLUSIVE: Ngannou wants Brit Hollywood star to play him in movie about crazy journey from sand mines to fighting Fury and Joshua
“And we said, ‘Okay!’ It was Francis’ idea and Francis negotiated us up to $2m which we quickly and gladly agreed to.”
Ngannou, 37, was offered $10m (£8m) to stay with the UFC for a super-fight with Jon Jones, 36.
And Davis confirmed he matched that deal but also provided him with the chance to box at the same time and launch PFL Africa.
He said: “Without ever breaching confidence of his deal, we’ve been public that his deal with the PFL is the exact economic deal that the UFC offered him.
“What he wanted – and what the UFC would not give him – is the ability and flexibility to box – and to be a business leader and launch PFL Africa.
“So he wanted two things what the UFC wouldn’t do and those two things are changing his life; the flexibility to box an the ability to be a true business owner as chairman of PFL Africa.
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“But the economic terms of when he boxes and the financial terms are the same with the PFL as they were with the UFC.
“And I think that’s why you’re seeing more and more fighters coming our way.”
Anthony Joshua and Ngannou ahead of their March 8 fightCredit: PA
The winner between Renan Ferreira and Ryan Bader will welcome Ngannou back to MMA More

FRANCIS NGANNOU has challenged Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury to have the “balls” to fight him in MMA. The ex-UFC champion put his cage career on hold last year to make a stunning switch to boxing.
Anthony Joshua facing off with Francis NgannouCredit: Alamy
Ngannou made his boxing debut against Tyson FuryCredit: Reuters
And in his first bout, he astonishingly floored Fury only to fall victim to a controversial points loss in Saudi Arabia.
But the disputed decision did not stop AJ coming to the table to agree another crossover clash for Ngannou, set for March 8 in Riyadh.
It will be the second time the MMA superstar has stepped out of his favoured discipline – something he doubts Joshua or Fury would ever have the cojones to do.
He told SunSport in Saudi: “Well, first of all you need to find a person with the balls to leave their backyard and come to somebody else’s backyard. 
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“It is not that easy. It is not a comfort zone when you step into someone else’s backyard.
“You have to accommodate yourself into everything and it is very tough. And I am saying that from experience! It is very challenging.”
Ngannou, 37, had boxing royalty in his corner for his fight with Fury, 35, having been coached by Iron Mike Tyson.
But the Cameroonian powerhouse admitted contact with his childhood hero has been limited heading into his fight with Joshua.
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He said: “Honestly, no. We haven’t really spoken, we haven’t really spoken about that.” 
Ngannou idolised Tyson growing up and wanted to be boxing champ just like his favourite fighter when he started training at 22.
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So even for Ngannou – who battled poverty and took over a year to emigrate Africa – having Tyson on the team was surreal.
He said: “It’s amazing.
“You have to look at him and travel back and think back at where you where at some point in your life and how you were watching him. 
“I think those are the moments that tells you that you’re making steps, you’re moving forwards. You’re not stuck in the same place.” 
Mike Tyson pictured with NgannouCredit: AFP More

FRANCIS NGANNOU has so much “ungodly power” even his boxing coach fears for his opponents – in a brutal warning to Anthony Joshua. Former kickboxer Dewey Cooper has been the man tasked with honing Ngannou’s hands since joining the camp in 2017.
Francis Ngannou in training to fight Anthony JoshuaCredit: @francisngannou
Joshua faces Ngannou on March 8
But along with Frenchman John Mbumba, their roles became even more important last year when Ngannou put on hold his MMA career to cross over to boxing.
But Cooper admits neither him or Mbumba can take credit for the ex-UFC champion’s devastating power.
Instead, he puts it down to Ngannou’s years spent working in sand mines in Cameroon for £1.50 a day from the age of ten.
Cooper told SunSport in Saudi Arabia ahead of PFL vs Bellator: “As far as his punching power, no that was something that he naturally had.
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“He dug sand mines as a kid all the way up to his early 20s.
“Of course, his DNA, his Cameroonian heritage and that hard manual labour as a kid all the way up, I feel was the main attribute to that ungodly power.”
Ngannou’s frightening power was once tested and found to be the equivalent to 96 horse power.
That means it carries the same ferocity as a 12lb sledgehammer being swung at full force or being hit by a moving Ford Escort.
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And if anyone knows the pain of Ngannou’s punches, it is poor old coach Cooper.
He laughed: “I had to change my body shield three or four different times because he was killing me.
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“I was going home with injured ribs all the time but I finally got a really good body pad – and it still hurts even now.
“But I’m just barley tough enough to take it. Remember, coaching Francis Ngannou isn’t for the weak or the meek.
“The saying, ‘It felt like he got hit by a bus’, I feel that every training session, I’m used to it now.
“It’s gigantic power, it’s enormous power and that’s gonna be on display March 8th and that’s for damn sure.”
Ngannou, 37, astonishingly dropped Tyson Fury, 35, on his boxing debut but it was not enough to avoid a controversial split-decision loss.
The performance and shock knockdown was still enough to earn the MMA star another blockbuster boxing bout, this time against Joshua, 34.
It will be the second time Cooper has led the charge but his 11th bout in total with Ngannou.
And he opened up about fearing the worst whenever Ngannou’s ruthless right hand lands – but showing no remorse before it.
He said: “The Overeem fight was one that comes to memory and the Rozenstruik, absolutely. But, that’s after the knockout, after the relief of victory.
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“That’s of course when the humanitarian side kicks in and you feel bad for the guys. But going into the fight, absolutely not.
“We plan on dominating, I want to make sure people understand that, if it were my way I want him to dominate and smash everyone he fights, the same way he did previous opponents in mixed martial arts.”
Ngannou pictured with boxing coach Dewey CooperCredit: Reuters More