Francis Ngannou Breaks Down Sharing Heartbreaking Story: “I Don’t Know How To Deal With This!”

Francis Ngannou's Childhood in Cameroon

• Francis Ngannou, a former UFC heavyweight champion, discusses his difficult childhood in Cameroon.
• He describes living in poverty with his family, lacking basic necessities like shoes and food.
• Ngannou's childhood home was a mud hut with limited resources, including a lack of basic necessities like toothbrushes, books, and even fuel for a lamp.
• He recalls reading by the fire used for cooking, often going barefoot due to a lack of shoes.
• The speaker highlights the constant struggle with poverty, including not having money for school fees, supplies, or food, leading to embarrassment and isolation.
• They emphasize the lack of access to healthcare, even for basic needs like medication, and the reliance on traditional remedies.
• The speaker describes their diet consisting of basic staples like corn, beans, peanuts, cassava, and vegetables.
• Ngannou emphasizes the importance of his roots and how his journey serves as an inspiration for others facing similar challenges.

Ngannou's Father and His Impact

• The speaker's father was a violent man who often got into fights.
• The speaker's father's behavior negatively impacted his reputation, and the speaker was often compared to him.
• The speaker's father was violent both outside and inside the home.
• The speaker's father was strict and sometimes violent towards his mother.
• The speaker's father passed away when he was 15 years old.
• The speaker's father was not a significant part of his life at the time of his death, but the speaker still felt the impact of his loss.
• The speaker's father was sick for months before his death and could not afford to go to the hospital.
• The speaker's father's death made him realize the importance of providing for his family and ensuring they have access to healthcare.
• The speaker's father's death also made him realize the importance of family and the impact of his absence.
• The speaker's father's death was a turning point in his life, motivating him to work hard and achieve success.
• The speaker's father's death also made him reflect on his family's situation and the hardships they faced.
• The speaker's father's death had a lasting impact on him, causing him to have nightmares and making him realize the importance of family and providing for them.
• The speaker's father's death made him dream of a different life and motivated him to leave his small town of Betti.

Ngannou's Journey to Boxing

• The speaker began working in a sand mine at the age of nine.
• He was kicked out of school at 13 years old because he couldn't afford to pay the annual fee.
• This experience motivated him to pursue a career in professional fighting.
• He was 22 years old when he left his village to pursue boxing, as there were no gyms in his area.
• The speaker was drawn to boxing because it was a structured and organized sport that allowed him to channel his strength and power without harming his reputation.

Ngannou's Journey to Europe

• The individual left Cameroon at the age of 26.
• They left Cameroon because they believed they could not succeed as a boxer there and desired a larger stage with a more developed boxing scene.
• Their initial goal was to reach America, but they opted for Europe as a more accessible route.
• They traveled from Cameroon to Nigeria, then to Algeria, and finally to Morocco.
• The journey involved a bus ride, a train ride, and a dangerous car ride to avoid police checkpoints.
• They crossed the Sahara Desert in the back of a pickup truck with 25 other people.
• The individual witnessed skeletons in the desert, indicating the dangers of the journey.
• They had saved money for the journey and received additional funds from their sister when needed.
• They encountered smugglers along the way and relied on them for financial support.
• The individual described drinking water contaminated with dead animals due to dehydration.
• They faced a choice between drinking the contaminated water and risking death from dehydration.

Ngannou's Journey to Spain

• The speaker recounts their personal experience crossing the Sahara Desert and attempting to reach Spain from Morocco. This journey took approximately one year and involved numerous attempts to cross the border, both by water and by scaling fences.
• While in Morocco, the speaker lived in various locations, including forests and deserts, depending on their objective. They often relied on scavenging for food in trash bins, particularly for discarded food items like tomatoes, potatoes, and chicken legs.
• The speaker explains that they were motivated to leave their country and embark on this journey by their dream of becoming a boxer. They were determined to pursue this dream, even though they had no prior experience or knowledge of whether they would be successful.
• The speaker describes attempting to cross the border from Morocco to Spain.
• He explains that there are two ways to cross: over the wall or through the sea.
• The speaker emphasizes the dangers of crossing the sea.
• He details his attempts to cross the wall, which is 7 meters high and has barbed wire.
• The speaker mentions that he has many scars from the barbed wire.
• He describes the process of finding a spot on the fence with less barbed wire and fewer guards.
• The speaker explains that there are guards on both the Moroccan and Spanish sides of the fence.
• He mentions that there are boxes of guards stationed at intervals along the fence.
• The speaker describes the process of gathering information about the guards' schedules and movements.
• He explains that it can take days to gather enough information to plan an attack on the fence.
• The speaker mentions that sometimes, even after gathering information, there are unexpected obstacles, such as hidden barbed wire.
• He describes the dangers of being in a group and being pushed into the barbed wire.
• The speaker states that he has attempted to climb the fence and was caught in the barbed wire.
• The speaker attempted to cross from Morocco to Spain in a small inflatable boat six times.
• He was caught by Moroccan guards each time and sent back to the desert.
• The Moroccan guards were paid by the European Union to prevent people from entering Europe illegally.
• The speaker was unable to swim but learned to navigate the boat and organize the passengers.
• The speaker's dream of a boxing career motivated him to continue trying to reach Europe despite the dangers.
• He believed that giving up would make him feel ashamed of himself.
• The speaker describes multiple attempts to cross the sea to Europe, with the sixth attempt being close to winter.
• During the sixth attempt, the speaker and others were caught by the army after paddling for three hours.
• The speaker was determined not to return to Morocco and decided to stay in the forest during the winter.
• The speaker received a call from a friend who had a ship and offered to take him to Europe.
• The speaker was unable to leave Tangier due to police presence and ran from the police for several hours.
• The speaker received calls from people who wanted him to be their captain for a journey to Europe.
• The speaker decided to go with a group that had a boat ready and did not want to wait for promises.
• The speaker went to Rabat to meet the group and discuss their plans for the journey to Tangier.
• The speaker was working on a project and was supposed to be paid on Saturday.
• He was offered a better opportunity by another person and was eager to leave the current project.
• The speaker was the captain of the group and was responsible for leading them.
• He became sick after arriving in Tangier but couldn't tell anyone because he was the leader.
• The speaker was trying to prevent others from joining the group because he wanted to ensure everyone made it safely.
• He checked the weather daily and found a suitable day to leave on April 2nd, 2013.
• The speaker instructed the group to meet at a specific location, but the police were present, forcing them to take a detour.
• The speaker was responsible for carrying the raft, which was essential for their journey.
• The speaker led the group through the night and eventually found a spot to inflate the raft.
• The location was rocky, making it difficult to enter the water.
• The speaker found a small spot to inflate the raft and was able to successfully launch it.
• A group of people, including the speaker, attempted to cross the ocean from Morocco to Spain in a small boat.
• They were rescued by the American Red Cross after being spotted by a helicopter.
• The Red Cross took them to Spain, where they were detained in a detention center for 53 days.
• The speaker described the detention center as a prison, where they were given food but had limited freedom.
• The speaker felt that they may have been better off in Morocco, where they had more freedom despite their difficult living conditions.

Ngannou's Arrival in Spain and Journey to Paris

• Francis Ngannou arrived in Spain after a difficult journey and was detained for almost two months.
• After his release, he received 50 euros from a charity organization and planned to go to the UK.
• He ended up in Paris on June 9, 2013, and slept in a parking lot for two months.
• He found a boxing gym and asked the coach for a chance to train for free, explaining his difficult situation.
• The coach agreed to let him train and gave him a phone number to contact him.
• The coach's substitute, DK, spoke to the coach on Ngannou's behalf and allowed him to train for free.
• DK also gave Ngannou a pair of shoes and an apartment to sleep in for two months.
• Ngannou believes that DK significantly helped him and changed his life.

Ngannou's Introduction to MMA

• Francis Ngannou was introduced to MMA by a friend named DJ.
• Ngannou initially wanted to be a boxer but found MMA exciting and began training in it.
• Ngannou's coach, Fernand Lopez, saw potential in him and helped him get his first MMA fight within four months of training.
• Ngannou fought five times in Europe before being offered a chance to fight in the UFC.
• Ngannou's coach posted on Facebook asking if anyone in Europe wanted to fight him, but no one was willing to take the risk.
• Ngannou was not initially aiming to be in the UFC, but he was offered a contract after his manager, Thiago Okamura, pitched him to the UFC.

Ngannou's UFC Career

• Ngannou's first UFC fight was in Orlando, Florida, which was also his first time in America.
• Francis Ngannou arrived in the United States in 2015, feeling like he had finally made it to his dream destination.
• His first UFC fight earned him $10,000 plus a $10,000 win bonus, but after commissions, he received only half of that amount.
• Ngannou's focus shifted after his first UFC fight, as he realized he needed to learn how to train and prepare for championships.
• He lost his first fight against Alistair Overeem in 2017, but learned from his mistakes and implemented those lessons into his future fights.
• Ngannou eventually won the UFC heavyweight title in 2021, becoming the hardest hitter in UFC history with a punch equivalent to 93 horsepower.
• He held the title until 2023, when he left the UFC due to disagreements with Dana White regarding freedom and treatment.
• Despite achieving the peak of his fighting career, Ngannou feels there is always another mountain to climb and a higher goal to achieve.
• He finds satisfaction in reflecting on his journey and comparing his current situation to his past experiences, which helps him realize how far he has come.

Ngannou's Departure from the UFC

• The speaker explains that he left the UFC due to freedom issues and disagreements with Dana White regarding his treatment and contract terms.
• The speaker refutes Dana White's claim that he wanted to take less risks and fight lesser opponents for more money. He argues that Dana White's statement was an attempt to save face and that he was actually seeking more freedom and control over his career.
• The speaker emphasizes that he was willing to walk away from a lucrative contract with the UFC because he felt it was not fair and did not give him the freedom he desired.
• The speaker reveals that he was financially struggling despite being the UFC heavyweight champion, earning less than a million dollars per fight. He explains that he was willing to sacrifice financial security for his personal freedom and the opportunity to pursue boxing.
• The speaker wanted a guarantee of fights within the contract to ensure he would be able to make a living.
• He wanted healthcare included in the contract, as he felt he deserved it for the money he could have been making.
• The speaker felt the contract was one-sided, as he was giving up his exclusivity and rights, but the UFC was not obligated to give him anything in return.
• The UFC could extend the contract for six months if the speaker turned down a fight, even if he was injured or sick.
• The speaker decided to leave the UFC because he felt he was not being treated fairly and wanted to gain his freedom.
• He believed he could make more money fighting outside of the UFC, as he had already proven his worth.
• The speaker felt he had left a lot of money on the table by not signing the UFC contract, but he valued his freedom more.

Ngannou's Financial Success and Future Goals

• The speaker discusses the financial rewards of his career, stating that he turned down lucrative offers early on but ultimately earned a significant amount from his fight with Tyson Fury.
• He mentions earning approximately 15 million pounds (almost 20 million dollars) for his fight with Anthony Joshua, but clarifies that he hasn't confirmed the exact amount.
• The speaker emphasizes that the concept of "life-changing money" is subjective, as a large sum may not significantly impact someone already wealthy, while a smaller amount could be transformative for someone in need.
• He explains that his motivation for continuing to fight is not solely financial, as he began fighting before financial gain was a factor.
• The speaker describes his current goals as pushing his limits and exploring his potential in combat sports, viewing it as a shame to not fully realize one's capabilities.
• He expresses his passion for martial arts, highlighting that it is a lifelong pursuit that can be enjoyed at any age.
• The speaker mentions his desire to continue fighting as long as he feels motivated and passionate about it, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a drive for improvement.
• He acknowledges that his goal was to reach the top of the mountain in mixed martial arts, which he achieved, but recognizes that there are always new challenges and goals to pursue.
• The speaker clarifies that becoming heavyweight champion of the world in boxing was never his primary goal, as he entered the sport later in his career and was aware of the challenges associated with it.
• The speaker believes he still has a lot to learn and show in MMA, despite having been involved for 11 years.
• He acknowledges that he has a limited window of time to compete before retiring, likely around age 42.

Ngannou's Fight Against Anthony Joshua

• He discusses his fight against Anthony Joshua, which he lost.
• He believes there were unfair practices during the Joshua fight, including delays and manipulation of his arrival time, which he believes contributed to his fatigue and ultimately his loss.
• He states that he was kept waiting for extended periods throughout the week leading up to the fight, which he believes was intentional.
• He acknowledges that he could have lost the fight regardless of the circumstances, but he believes the unfair practices played a role in the outcome.

Ngannou's Personal Loss and Emotional Struggles

• The speaker discusses the loss of his 15-month-old son, Kobe, who passed away a few months prior to the interview.
• He describes the immense grief and pain he experiences, stating that he feels lost and unable to comprehend the loss.
• The speaker reflects on how his life's purpose was to fight for his family and protect them from hardship, but he was unable to protect his son.
• He expresses the difficulty of processing grief and the lack of a clear path to healing.
• The speaker acknowledges the importance of mental health and the challenges men face in expressing their emotions.
• He shares that he has found himself becoming more emotional than he expected, discovering a new side of himself.
• The speaker expresses surprise at how well his family is coping with the loss, despite his own struggles.
• He concludes by reflecting on the exhaustion of maintaining a tough exterior and the need to allow himself to be vulnerable.
• Francis Ngannou is questioning his ability to handle difficult situations, particularly emotional ones.
• He is struggling with the purpose of fighting, especially after experiencing personal loss.

Ngannou's Return to Cameroon and Future Plans

• Ngannou is returning to Cameroon for a few weeks to train and find a new purpose.
• He plans to fight before the end of the year, potentially in an MMA fight, before returning to boxing.
• Ngannou is fighting in the PFL Global, not the PFL Africa.
• He is motivated to fight in honor of his son, who passed away at 15 months old.
• Ngannou describes his son as full of life, active, and curious.
• He believes his son would want him to continue fighting and use his platform to inspire others.
• Ngannou is currently training and preparing for his upcoming fight.
• He acknowledges that there are days when he lacks motivation, but he pushes himself to train anyway.

Ngannou's Inspiration and Perseverance

• The speaker describes feeling trapped in a negative emotional state, comparing it to being stuck in a bathroom.
• The speaker acknowledges the need to seek help and recognizes that overcoming emotional challenges is a process.
• The speaker mentions Kobe Bryant as a source of inspiration, stating that Bryant motivates them to strive for new heights in their career.
• The speaker shares that they felt like a failure after the passing of a close friend, as their motivation for fighting had been lost.
• The speaker expresses gratitude for the perspective they gained from the listener's story, recognizing the importance of family and principles.
• The speaker emphasizes that despite facing immense challenges, they have never complained or felt pitiful, instead choosing to focus on building a positive life.
• The speaker believes that Francis Ngannou's journey from Cameroon to the top of the mountain in his career proves that anything is possible.
• The speaker encourages listeners to challenge their self-imposed limitations and to keep trying even when faced with failure.
• The speaker acknowledges the desire to prove doubters wrong and the importance of perseverance in achieving success.
• Francis Ngannou describes a time when he was pursuing his dream of becoming a boxer, and everyone around him, including his mother, doubted his ability to succeed.
• He explains that people were skeptical because of his background and the perceived impossibility of achieving his goals.
• Ngannou emphasizes that the true failure lies in not taking action and not trying, rather than in the outcome of the effort itself.
• He believes that people are often too afraid of failure to even attempt their dreams.
• Ngannou's story is described as inspiring and unique, highlighting his perseverance and determination in the face of adversity.