Who is Francis Ngannou? Inside the former UFC heavyweight champion’s journey from poverty to combat sports superstardom

From working in the sand mines at the age of ten to becoming a global megastar, Francis Ngannou's incredible story has transcended the world of martial arts.

Following his two professional boxing defeats against Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury, 'The Predator' will make his long-awaited return to the octagon this Saturday.

And so here's everything you need to know about Francis Ngannou, the critically acclaimed knockout artist.

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How old is Francis Ngannou?

Francis Zavier Ngannou was born on September 5, 1986 in Batie, Cameroon. He currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

As of October 2024, he is 38 years old.

Francis Ngannou height and weight

According to Tapology, Ngannou is 6 feet tall, with a remarkable reach of 31 inches.

While competing in the UFC, Ngannou was among a few heavyweights who would limit title fights to 265 pounds.

However, for his professional boxing match against Joshua, he weighed 272 pounds.

Francis Ngannou X/Twitter and Instagram accounts

Ngannou has more than 1 million followers on his X account, @francis_ngannou, where he regularly posts updates of his training.

The former UFC heavyweight champion is also active on Instagram and has more than 7 million followers. You can follow him @francisngannou.

Francis Ngannou MMA record

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Francis Ngannou career earnings

Following his lucrative clashes with Joshua and Fury, Ngannou's career revealed earnings to be $32 million, according to Tapology.

Francis Ngannou next fight

Ngannou is gearing up for his first MMA appearance in more than two years, returning to the octagon on October 19 against PFL heavyweight champion Renan Ferreira.

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images

Who did Francis Ngannou lose to?

Ngannou's first notable defeat came in 2018, when he faced UFC legend Stipe Miocic in his first heavyweight title shot, but was outworked by the veteran operator over five rounds.

Ngannou's only other UFC loss came against Derrick Lewis, who defeated him in a closer affair over three rounds immediately after Miocic's defeat.

In professional boxing, Ngannou famously lost a controversial split decision against Fury in 2023 after grounding the champion in the third round.

Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

He then suffered an emphatic second-round defeat to Joshua earlier this year.

Francis Ngannou vs. Alistair Overeem

Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Ngannou simply blew MMA fans away with his crushing finish against Alistair Overeem in 2017.

The fearsome heavyweight scored a breathtaking uppercut before securing a scintillating first-round stoppage, catapulting him into his first title fight against Miocic.

Stipe Miocic vs. Francis Ngannou 2

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

In 2021, Ngannou was given the opportunity to exact revenge on his former enemy, something he certainly did not take lightly.

And so the destructive striker finally did what he does best: stop the proceedings in the second round to claim the UFC heavyweight title.

Francis Ngannou vs. Ciryl Gane

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Now, against Ciryl Gane – his only UFC title defense – Ngannou quickly found himself in a much more complicated fight.

In the end, Ngannou claimed a points victory, although many still believe his opponent had done enough to win.

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