When one thinks of “The Baddest Man on the Planet,” what usually comes to mind is former undisputed heavyweight champion Mike Tyson. However, recently, with Tyson’s blessing, Francis Ngannou adopted that nickname.
Ngannou is an MMA fighter who took up boxing after showing interest as a child. “The Predator” went from the sand mines of Cameroon to UFC heavyweight champion to compete against the world’s best in boxing.
In October, he stepped into a professional boxing ring for the first time in his life. While losing to WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, Ngannou embarrassed the Brit, knocking him down in the third round before losing a very close split decision.
Not given a chance by boxing enthusiasts before the fight, his performance opened everyone’s eyes to his potential.
On March 8, Ngannou will face former unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A win could lead to a world title shot and he will also compete in MMA in the Professional Fighters League.
LOOK: Anthony Joshua against Francis Ngannou, live exclusively on DAZN
But it was the UFC that introduced the world to this incredible combat athlete. How good was Ngannou during the promotion?
The Jugo Mobile looks at Ngannou’s long career inside the octagon.
Francis Ngannou’s UFC record, titles won
Ngannou turned professional in 2013 and joined the UFC in 2015. He went 12-2 with the promotion and earned 10 knockout wins.
Ngannou debuted with a victory against Luis Henrique and then defeated Curtis Blaydes. In what was considered his first major test, he knocked out former world champion Andrei Arlovski in 2017. Ngannou followed up with an uppercut on Alistair Overeem into another universe, giving MMA fans the idea that he was unstoppable.
That feeling wouldn’t last. In 2018, Ngannou looked mortal in a decision loss to Stipe Miocic for the UFC heavyweight title, and a tame losing effort to Derrick Lewis stopped the hype train.
However, Ngannou quickly recovered by once again derailing Blaydes’ momentum, which was one of six straight victories, five of them thanks to the power hit.
After stopping Cain Velasquez, Junior dos Santos and Jairzinho Rozenstruik all in the first round, Ngannou faced Miocic in a rematch for the UFC heavyweight title. At UFC 260 in 2021, Ngannou took down Miocic and took him down for the count to win gold for the first time.
And then things got ugly. In a controversial move, the UFC booked an interim title fight when an inactive Ngannou was not ready to compete. Facing interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane in January 2022, Ngannou used a striking wrestling-based offense to neutralize his opponent for five rounds.
Why did Francis Ngannou leave the UFC?
After failed negotiations over a new contract, the UFC opted to waive his equivalent rights clause, making him a free agent.
At the center of the dispute: the salary of the combatants.
speaking in Ariel Helwani’s MMA timeNgannou told Helwani that he wanted to try to reach an agreement with the UFC on the following:
- three fight deal
- right to sponsorship
- health insurance
- Fighter advocate to represent fighters at meetings.
Paying fighters was an initial problem for Jon Jones, then the UFC light heavyweight champion, who met with UFC brass to discuss a superfight with Ngannou. Jones later relinquished the title and focused on moving up to heavyweight when his demands were not met.
Ngannou’s demands were not agreed upon, making it easier for Ngannou to relinquish the UFC heavyweight title and close the door on his career with the promotion.
