Francis Ngannou

Francis Zavier Ngannou (born 5 September 1986) is a Cameroonian and French professional mixed martial artist and professional boxer who currently competes in the Heavyweight division. He previously competed in the heavyweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) from 2015 to 2022, where he was the reigning UFC Heavyweight Champion at the time of his departure from the promotion, and in the Professional Fighters League (PFL), where he was the inaugural PFL Super Fights Heavyweight Champion.

Known for his punching power, Ngannou was widely viewed as the most destructive pure puncher in the UFC's heavyweight division; he ended seven of his fourteen UFC fights by knockout before the two-minute mark in the first round. He is considered the lineal heavyweight champion in mixed martial arts.

Early life and education Ngannou was born and raised in the village of Batié, Cameroon. He lived in poverty and had little formal education growing up. Ngannou's parents divorced when he was six years old, and he was sent to live with his aunt. At 10 years old, Ngannou started working in a sand quarry in Batié because of a lack of funds. As a youngster, he was approached by several gangs in his village to join them.

At age 22, Ngannou began training in boxing, despite the initial reluctance of his family. He did various odd jobs to make ends meet, until age 26 when he decided to head to Paris, France, to pursue professional boxing. After he reached Paris, he had no money, no friends, and no place to live. When his boxing gym closed for the summer, Lo Chorba's director, Khater Yenbou, introduced Ngannou to Fernand Lopez and the MMA factory. Being a fan of Mike Tyson, Ngannou was originally interested in learning how to box but Lopez saw his potential in MMA and convinced him to try MMA instead. Lopez gave Ngannou some MMA gear and allowed him to train and sleep at the gym for no cost thus starting Ngannou's MMA career. He compiled a record of 5–1 before signing with the UFC.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Ngannou made his UFC debut against fellow newcomer Luis Henrique on 19 December 2015, at UFC on Fox 17. He won the fight via knockout in the second round.

Ngannou next faced UFC newcomer Curtis Blaydes on 10 April 2016, at UFC Fight Night 86. He won the fight via TKO, due to doctor stoppage at the end of the second round.

In his next bout, Ngannou faced another newcomer in Bojan Mihajlović on 23 July 2016, at UFC on Fox 20. He won the fight via TKO in the first round. Ngannou then faced Anthony Hamilton on 9 December 2016, at UFC Fight Night 102. He won the fight by submission in the first round, and earned his first UFC Performance of the Night bonus.

Ngannou faced Andrei Arlovski on 28 January 2017, at UFC on Fox 23. He won the fight via TKO in the first round. The win also earned Ngannou his second Performance of the Night bonus.

Ngannou was expected to face Junior dos Santos on 9 September 2017, at UFC 215. However, on 18 August, Dos Santos was pulled from the match after being notified of a potential USADA violation. In turn, Ngannou was removed from the card after promotion officials deemed that a suitable opponent could not be arranged.

In 2017, he set the world record for the hardest punch ever recorded on the PowerKube, at 129,161 franklin (a unit used by the PowerKube that combines power and energy).

In the highest profile fight of his career, Ngannou faced veteran Alistair Overeem on 2 December 2017, at UFC 218. He won the fight via knockout in the first round. This knockout has been labeled as one of the greatest and most brutal knockouts of all time. Following the bout, Ngannou signed a new, eight-fight contract with the UFC.

Ngannou faced Stipe Miocic for the UFC Heavyweight Championship on 20 January 2018, at UFC 220. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.

Ngannou faced Derrick Lewis on 7 July 2018, at UFC 226. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. The fight was heavily criticized by the media and the fans for the lack of offence from both competitors and was labeled as a "snoozefest".

Ngannou faced Curtis Blaydes in a rematch on 24 November 2018, in the main event at UFC Fight Night 141. He won the fight via TKO early into the first round. The win also earned him a Performance of the Night bonus.

Ngannou headlined the UFC's inaugural event on ESPN, UFC on ESPN 1 against Cain Velasquez on 17 February 2019. He won via knockout in the first round.

Ngannou faced Junior dos Santos on 29 June 2019, at UFC on ESPN 3. He won the fight via technical knockout in the first round. This fight earned him the Performance of the Night award.

Ngannou was scheduled to face Jairzinho Rozenstruik on 28 March 2020, at UFC on ESPN: Ngannou vs. Rozenstruik. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was eventually postponed . The pair was rescheduled to meet at 18 April 2020, at UFC 249. However, on 9 April, Dana White, the president of the UFC announced that the event was postponed and the bout eventually took place on 9 May 2020. Ngannou won via knockout just 20 seconds into the first round. This win earned him the Performance of the Night award.

UFC Heavyweight Champion Miocic vs. Ngannou II A rematch of the bout between Miocic and Ngannou for the UFC Heavyweight Championship took place on 27 March 2021, at UFC 260. Ngannou won via knockout in the second round. This win earned him the Performance of the Night award.

Ngannou vs. Gane Ngannou faced the Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Ciryl Gane for his first title defense on 22 January 2022, at UFC 270. He injured knee ligaments three and a half weeks before the fight. Ngannou won the fight by unanimous decision, the first decision win of his career.

Departure On 14 January 2023, the UFC Heavyweight Championship was stripped from Ngannou after he and the UFC could not come to terms on a new contract. Ngannou's contract expired in mid-December, and after the two parties couldn't reach an agreement, the UFC waived its one-year matching rights clause, making Ngannou an unrestricted free agent. In an interview with Ariel Helwani, Ngannou stated that he had requested health insurance, the ability to have sponsorships for all UFC fighters, and to have a fighter advocate present during all fighter contract negotiations. When his requests were denied, Ngannou chose not to re-sign with the UFC, making him the first reigning champion to leave the UFC since B.J. Penn in 2004.

After Ngannou's departure from the UFC, he openly admitted to wanting to start a boxing career and targeted boxing matches with both Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury.

Professional Fighters League On 16 May 2023, it was announced that Ngannou had signed a multi-fight deal with the Professional Fighters League (PFL). He competed in their pay-per-view "super fight" division, while still being free to compete in other sports such as boxing. Ngannou also negotiated on behalf of his opponents, guaranteeing them to be paid at least $2 million. He will also be a part of PFL's global advisory board, meant to advocate for fighters' interests, and an equity owner and chairman of the upcoming PFL Africa league. Ngannou's PFL contract has been called a historic moment for the sport, with Daniel Cormier saying it sets "a new standard for what is out there in the [MMA] free-agent market." John S. Nash of Bloody Elbow and Alex Pattle of The Independent each referred to a different aspect of the deal as "unprecedented".

Ngannou faced 2023 PFL Heavyweight Champion and PFL Champions vs. Bellator Champions title holder Renan Ferreira for the PFL Super Fights Heavyweight Championship on 19 October 2024 at PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants. He won the fight by knockout via ground punches in the first round.

On March 6, 2026, it was announced that Ngannou was no longer under contract with PFL.

Most Valuable Promotions Ngannou faced Philipe Lins in a five-round bout at MVP MMA 1, on May 16, 2026. He won the bout via knockout in the first round.

Professional boxing career Ngannou vs. Fury

Ngannou took on the undefeated WBC and Lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury in a professional boxing match billed as "Battle of the Baddest" on 28 October 2023, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Ngannou was able to knock down Fury in the third round, taking the fight all the way to the scorecards, in which the judges awarded Fury the victory in a controversial split decision (95–94, 96–93, 94–95). According to CompuBox, Fury outlanded Ngannou 71 to 59 in total punches, while Ngannou outlanded Fury 37 to 32 in power punches.

As a result of his strong performance against Fury, Ngannou was ranked #10 by the WBC. Mauricio Sulaiman, President of the WBC, said "the ranking of Ngannou was perfectly supported by the WBC rules which is clear in the criteria from rankings that we consider the activity of the fighter in other contact sports."

Ngannou vs. Joshua

Ngannou faced Anthony Joshua on 8 March 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and lost by second-round knockout.

Fighting style Ngannou is an orthodox heavyweight striker best known for his punching power and knockout finishing ability. At 6 ft 4 in with an 83 in reach, he uses his size and length to keep opponents at the edge of punching range, where short counters and sudden forward attacks carry significant finishing threat. His stand-up game is not based on high-volume combination punching; instead, he often fights at a measured pace, drawing opponents forward before countering with heavy hooks, uppercuts or straight punches.

Although Ngannou's reputation is built mainly on striking, his later MMA career also showed improvements in defensive wrestling and top control. In his rematch with Stipe Miocic, he defended early wrestling attempts before winning by knockout, and against Ciryl Gane he retained the UFC heavyweight title by using takedowns and control rather than relying only on power punching. In grappling exchanges, his approach is generally practical rather than submission-oriented, using strength, balance, sprawls, clinch control and ground-and-pound to return the fight to favorable positions. He learned English after joining the UFC.

On April 29, 2024, Ngannou announced that his 15-month-old son Kobe had died. The cause of death was a brain malformation.

In April 2025, Ngannou was reportedly involved in a motorcycle accident in Yaoundé, Cameroon, that resulted in the death of a 17-year-old girl, Ntsama Brigitte Manuella. The incident occurred over Easter weekend in the Omnisports neighborhood. Ngannou allegedly transported the girl to Yaoundé General Hospital and covered her medical expenses. Despite undergoing emergency surgery, she died from her injuries.

Philanthropy The Francis Ngannou Foundation, initially run solely on Ngannou's personal funds and later combining that with donations, runs the first MMA gym in Cameroon, aiming to offer facilities for young people to have a place to train. It also donates educational materials to Cameroonian children and schools, including setting up computer labs in underserved villages. In January 2024 the foundation claimed to have 26,000 beneficiaries.

Filmography

Film

Championships and accomplishments Ultimate Fighting Championship UFC Heavyweight Championship (One time) One successful title defense Performance of the Night (Six times) Tied (Terrance McKinney, Michał Oleksiejczuk, Joe Lauzon and Donald Cerrone) for sixth most first-round finishes in UFC history (8) Tied (Cain Velasquez & Junior Dos Santos) for second most knockouts in UFC Heavyweight division history (10) Sixth highest win percentage in UFC history (85.71%: 12 wins / 2 losses) World record for the hardest punch UFC.com Awards 2016: Ranked #10 Submission of the Year 2017: Knockout of the Year vs. Alistair Overeem 2021: Ranked #6 Knockout of the Year

Professional Fighters League PFL Super Fights Heavyweight Championship (One time, inaugural) Bleacher Report 2017 Knockout of the Year vs. Alistair Overeem ESPN 2017 Knockout of the Year vs. Alistair Overeem 2024 Non-UFC Male Fighter of the Year CBS Sports 2017 UFC Knockout of the Year Yahoo Sports 2017 Knockout of the Year Pundit Arena 2017 Knockout of the Year vs. Alistair Overeem MMA Fighting 2017 Knockout of the Year vs. Alistair Overeem 2017 Breakthrough Fighter of the Year MMA Junkie 2017 Knockout of the Year vs. Alistair Overeem 2021 March Knockout of the Month vs. Stipe Miocic 2024 Comeback Fighter of the Year MMADNA.nl 2017 Knockout of the Year World MMA Awards 2017 Knockout of the Year vs. Alistair Overeem at UFC 218 Fight Matrix 2021 Most Noteworthy Match of the Year 2024 Comeback Fighter of the Year 2024 Comeback Fighter of the Year Cageside Press 2017 Knockout of the Year MMA Sucka 2017 Knockout of the Year Slacky Awards 2021 Gameplan of the Year

Mixed martial arts record Win

Philipe Lins KO (punch) MVP MMA: Rousey vs. Carano

Inglewood, California, United States Win

Renan Ferreira KO (punches) PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Win

Ciryl Gane Decision (unanimous) UFC 270

Anaheim, California, United States Win

Stipe Miocic KO (punch) UFC 260

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Win

Jairzinho Rozenstruik KO (punches) UFC 249

Jacksonville, Florida, United States Win

Junior dos Santos TKO (punches) UFC on ESPN: Ngannou vs. dos Santos

Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States Win

Cain Velasquez KO (punches) UFC on ESPN: Ngannou vs. Velasquez

Phoenix, Arizona, United States Win

Curtis Blaydes TKO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Ngannou 2

Beijing, China Loss

Derrick Lewis Decision (unanimous) UFC 226

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Loss

Stipe Miocic Decision (unanimous) UFC 220

Boston, Massachusetts, United States Win

Alistair Overeem KO (punch) UFC 218

Detroit, Michigan, United States Win

Andrei Arlovski TKO (punches) UFC on Fox: Shevchenko vs. Peña

Denver, Colorado, United States Win

Anthony Hamilton Submission (kimura) UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Abdurakhimov

Albany, New York, United States Win

Bojan Mihajlović TKO (punches) UFC on Fox: Holm vs. Shevchenko

Chicago, Illinois, United States Win

Curtis Blaydes TKO (doctor stoppage) UFC Fight Night: Rothwell vs. dos Santos

Zagreb, Croatia Win

Luis Henrique KO (punch) UFC on Fox: dos Anjos vs. Cowboy 2

Orlando, Florida, United States Win

William Baldutti TKO (punches) KHK MMA National Tryouts: Finale 2015

Isa Town, Bahrain Win

Luc Ngeleka Submission (guillotine choke) Strength and Honor 10

Geneva, Switzerland Win

Nicolas Specq Submission (arm-triangle choke)

Win

Bilal Tahtahi KO (punch)

Loss

Zoumana Cisse Decision (unanimous) 100% Fight: Contenders 21

Paris, France Win

Rachid Benzina Submission (armbar) 100% Fight: Contenders 20

Paris, France Professional boxing record

Kickboxing record

Pay-per-view bouts MMA

Boxing No.BillingFightDateVenueBuysNetworkRevenue 1 Battle of the Baddest Fury vs. Ngannou 28 October 2023 Kingdom Arena N/A DAZN / ESPN+Not Disclosed 2 Knockout Chaos Joshua vs. Ngannou 8 March 2024 Kingdom Arena N/A DAZN / Sky Sports Box OfficeNot Disclosed