Francis Ngannou shares message for naysayers after starting camp for Anthony Joshua fight
Francis Ngannou is not letting the doubters get to him once again.
In a combat sports career and an overall life filled with overcoming the odds and proving people wrong, Ngannou is again staying supremely focused and confident.
Readying for his sophomore professional boxing bout by taking on generational great/ former unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, 'The Predator' took to social media to show he sees what the haters are saying and frankly does not care.
Via his personal X account @francis_ngannou, Ngannou said:
""He got lucky last time.” “He won't be able to block out the noise this time." “He can’t do it again, can he?” We’ll see. Camp has started. #JoshuaNgannou"
Check out Francis Ngannou's post leading into the AJ fight below:
Francis Ngannou and overcoming the odds
Francis Ngannou has showcased his resilience in his ability to overcome seemingly whatever obstacles life could present him.
The Cameroon native had a come-up that involved him working in a sand mine as a youth as well as a stint of being homeless in France after journeying there. Even getting to the Ultimate Fighting Championship and beginning this journey there is impressive on a base level. But that wasn't nearly enough for Ngannou.
The 37-year-old proved doubters wrong when he overcame a two-fight losing skid to then-defending heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic and Derrick Lewis following his quick, dominant UFC rise. Ngannou then embarked on a redemption tour that saw him halt several former UFC heavyweight champions, including Junior Dos Santos and Cain Velasquez.
Ngannou eventually secured his redemptive rematch versus Miocic and halted him in the second round to claim the heavyweight gold during his second attempt at it in March 2021 at UFC 260. After defending his gold against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 and winning on points, Ngannou would eventually go on to defy doubters in a testing free agency/ commerce of combat sports sense.
The PFL signed the MMA athlete to a lucrative deal but has also allowed him to concurrently participate in pro boxing. This gave Ngannou his most recent example of defying the odds by facing a man many see as the best heavyweight boxer of this era in what was the former UFC champion's debut in the sport.
Though he lost via split decision, many felt that 'The Predator' should have bested 'The Gypsy King' in one of the most remarkable underdog efforts in all of combative sport.