Den 30-årige kamerunske tungviktaren Francis Ngannou står nu med hela 10 raka segrar i ryggen sedan debutmatchen i december 2013, vilket var den enda förlusten i hans karriär som kom via ett enhälligt domslut. 6 av hans matcher har avslutats via TKO/KO och 3 via submission.
Förra helgen gick han med sin största vinst i karriären, då han knockade veteranen Andrei Arlovski i första ronden under UFC on FOX 23.
Ngannou har ägnat sig åt boxning och MMA under ca 4 års tid sedan han upptäckte sporten genom en UFC-gala på TV. Han har nu siktet inställt på forne mästaren Cain Velasquez.
Det här berättade han via ’The MMA Hour’:
I saw it on TV one time. But I didn’t know what it was. I said what is this type of box? The takedowns, the wrestling, it’s not boxing. What is that?
My next opponent, I have three or four months, I think Velasquez was going to be ready at the time. I think about Velasaquez, Overeem or dos Santos. … I’m ready for anything they propose for me now, I’m ready.
I come to France just because I had opportunity. First I wanted to go to England because, professional boxing is better in England or in Germany, but I had the opportunity to go to France so I stop in France, and I continue. So the first time, when I arrive in France, the next day I just follow around me and I see some gym, and I ask them to let me train, because I don’t have money or assets.
Ngannou spenderade efter flytten ett flertal nätter där han sov i parkeringshus, eftersom han inte hade någonstans att bo, men detta är något han såg som ett sätt att utvecklas som person. Han började sedan träna på gymmet MMA Factory i Paris, där fighters som Francis Carmont och Karl Ammassou hållit till.
MMA är tyvärr olagligt som sport i Frankrike i dagens läge, men detta är något som Ngannou hoppas att det blir ändring på.
I saw some banking, and they had underground parking, I went in the night maybe around 10, and I go and I find some place and sleep, then tomorrow morning I wake up and get out.
I still remember that time, and it’s amazing to me, I think, wow, now I have opportunity to expand myself.
Boxing is not easy to make a career when you come somewhere and you didn’t know anyone. No one will support you, continue training, continue for competition for MMA, and I still continue about two years later, that is when they me I have a contract for UFC, and I said, ‘now we dedicate.’ That is my destiny, that is my opportunity a lot of people don’t have it in their life, so I am going to take this. That is exactly the time I accept to be an MMA fighter.
When I said I’m going to do MMA, I’m going to make my career in MMA, was just after last time in UFC, really in the mission. Then when I was in the mission I know everything can happen. So it’s an opportunity to me to make something beautiful to be champion, so I say to myself, for MMA you can be a champ okay like in boxing so in my mind, I know that I can fight any one of them.
It’s still illegal. But one day, I think things will change and I will bring the belt to France.