Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou’s struggles ahead of his rise in fame might astonish many individuals. His rough upbringing and time as a refugee is a well-known tale in the MMA community. Recently, Ngannou shared further details about his journey from Cameroon to France.
The ‘Predator’ retold his life story on a recent podcast episode of BS w/ Jake Paul. Host Jake Paul along with his co-hosts Brandon Amato and Demaurae Nichols, dived deep into Ngannou’s life story. During that conversation, they were curious about the struggles during the Predator’s illegal journey to France. Interestingly, Ngannou revealed one such information that shocked Paul and his co-hosts.
After we crossed the desert we were out of water and all dehydrated. We found a water well in the farm and this water well was there for I don’t know how long and with dead leaf and maybe dead animals inside. There was a water in the well and I’m like okay I mean um usually this not a drinkable water but at this point I rather maybe drink this water…
Francis Ngannou via BS w/ Jake Paul
While revealing his life story, Francis Ngannou mentioned that he miserably failed to cross the Sahara Desert. As such, the Predator and his companions made it across the Desert on their seventh attempt. Ngannou has had his share of struggles before achieving rising popularity in MMA.
Speaking of his MMA career, the UFC gave the Predator a major boost. Even though Ngannou’s tenure at the promotion didn’t last long, it made him quite stable financially. Moreover, he earned wins over multiple world champions during his time with the promotion.
Francis Ngannou came from a humble background and was raised by his aunt in Batie, Cameroon. From a young age, Ngannou had a tough time meeting his expenses. Moreover, to meet the bare minimum requirements to live, the Predator had to take up labor jobs. He worked in coal mines and sand quarries, to be precise. Not only that, he was even unable to pursue higher education due to financial constraints.
Francis Ngannou shares his tale of struggles during his school life
Almost everyone in the fighting community has been an avid fan of Francis Ngannou as a fighter. Over the years, his vicious powerhouse knockouts have become his trademark. Even though there are many fans and followers of Ngannou now, there were none when he struggled. Not only did Ngannou struggle to earn a living for himself, but he also couldn’t pursue an education.
Francis Ngannou in his ethnic attire (Image via Imago)The Predator began working in a sand quarry when he was just ten years old. Interestingly, when YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul and his friends came across Ngannou’s story, they couldn’t believe it. They were also shocked to learn that the former UFC champion had to walk six miles to school daily as a child.
My school was like six miles away, so that was quite a walk. It took me almost two hours to come back from school to home… Some lucky times I would go into the truck from the sand quarry… I could get there by 20 or 25-minute truck ride If I could find the truck, or I had to basically walk for almost two hours.
Francis Ngannou via BS w/ Jake Paul
Currently, Ngannou appears to be leading a fulfilling life. Despite his current success, he remains committed to supporting his home country. Most notably, PFL has revealed that the Predator will serve as the chairman for the organization’s expansion into Africa.
