It is a well-known fact that Francis Ngannou was born into extreme poverty, where he had little education and had to work in sand mines as a 10-year-old to make ends meet. However, there are many more facts about ‘The Predator’ that would melt the hearts of his fans.
Here, we look at three things every Francis Ngannou fan needs to know:
#3 - Francis Ngannou didn’t tell his family he was escaping from Cameroon
Although Francis Ngannou grew up in poverty and hunger, he always dreamed of becoming a boxer in France. But to bring that fantasy closer to reality, he had to escape his hometown of Batie, Cameroon. At 26, Ngannou decided to escape Cameroon and travel through Nigeria, Niger, and Algeria to reach the western coast of Africa in Morocco.
However, leaving his hometown for another country involved many risks for Francis Ngannou, including death. Speaking about the experience on Joe Rogan’s podcast, he said:
Francis Ngannou also revealed that while he did not tell his sister where he was going, his mother didn’t even know he had planned to leave. Ngannou said:
Watch Francis Ngannou’s interview here:
#2 - Francis Ngannou once had to swallow money to save it from pirates
Francis Ngannou realized he couldn’t carry all his money while leaving Cameroon. He gave some money to his sister so that she could wire it to him later. In his appearance on ‘The Joe Rogan Experience,’ Ngannou said that he didn’t carry all his money because he could get robbed while traveling.
He said:
After crossing Nigeria, Francis Ngannou would need to have a visa. He revealed that since the illegal immigrants did not possess visas, the authorities would strip them of their valuable belongings.
He told Joe Rogan:
Watch Francis Ngannou share details about working in sand mines:
#1 - Francis Ngannou has opened free MMA gyms for kids in his hometown
Having grown up in extreme poverty, Francis Ngannou understands the troubles of children who don’t have access to= facilities. After becoming an international star and UFC heavyweight champion, ‘The Predator’ hasn’t forgotten his roots.
Francis Ngannou has opened two MMA gyms, called the Francis Ngannou Foundation, in Cameroon’s cities - Batie and Buea. The first facility opened in Batie in 2019. Francis Ngannou opened the second in Buea in May 2021.
At the inauguration of the second Francis Ngannou Foundation, ‘The Predator’ said:
Also read: 5 unbelievable facts about Francis Ngannou
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