Born on September 5th, 1986 in the village of Batié in West Cameroon which is the pillar country of the Central Africa region, Francis Ngannou is the fourth child of five siblings. Because of an obsolete educational system that did not embrace uniqueness and differences, Francis was constantly rejected and could never “fit”.
Coming from a very poor family, he stopped going to school and had to work alongside adults in a sand mines from the age of 10. Barely being able to afford primarly needs, he left his native village barefeet and alone to reach Douala, the conomic capital of Cameroon hoping for a better life

After living in the streets of Douala for years, being approached by many gangs, being tempted by all kinds of illicit activities in an horrendous environment;
This is in 2012, at the age of 25 with the dream of becoming a professional boxer that Francis decided in a surge of desperation and paradoxally of great hope to leave Cameroon to reach Europe. He did so by sea and finally after a 2-month dangerous and tumultuous journey toward the unknown through forests, deserts and the Mediterannean Sea where thousands perish every year, Francis arrived in Spain by boat. He became an undocumented immigrant and was jailed two months for illegally crossing the boarders.

Later on, he managed to arrive in France where he knew no one and had nothing. After being homeless in the street of Paris for months, he met Francis Carmont who introduced him to Fernand Lopez and the MMA Factory. Lopez gave Francis some MMA gear and allowed him to train and sleep at the gym for free. This was the start of Francis Ngannou’s beautiful career.

These humble beginnings are not a sad story for Francis who insists they shaped the mind-set and the lion spirit that led him to become the champion and the giant he is today.