"I ended up spending a lot of my time alone" - Francis Ngannou gets real on struggles with extreme poverty during childhood
Francis Ngannou recently opened up on the hardships he faced as a youngster in Cameroon. The former UFC heavyweight champion recently took to social media to outline how his struggles with extreme poverty at a young age shaped him into the man he is today.
Ngannou is undoubtedly among the biggest personalities in MMA and is widely considered the hardest-hitting heavyweight in the sport's history. While his time in the UFC jet-packed him to mainstream stardom, 'The Predator' has made no secret about his difficult past, and his journey from having nothing in Cameroon to becoming a UFC champion is nothing short of captivating.
In a recent video uploaded to Instagram, Ngannou opened up about having to work in Cameroonian sand mines at the age of 10 to support himself and his family. Outlining how his work helped him buy books for school and food for his home, he captioned the post:
"I started working in the sand mines in Cameroon when I was 10 years old... I had to work to be able to contribute to my family home and pay for food and books for school. I used to feel frustrated seeing other kids who had things I didn’t."
He continued:
"So I ended up spending a lot of my time alone. But that just motivated me... And now, when I look back at how far I’ve come from those sand mines, I know I’m not lucky to have what I have. I’ve worked for it."
Mike Tyson on Francis Ngannou vs Tyson Fury
Mike Tyson recently weighed in on the highly anticipated Francis Ngannou vs Tyson Fury boxing match. 'Iron Mike' is of the opinion that while Ngannou beating Fury would be the biggest upset in boxing history, he expects 'The Predator' to have an excellent puncher's chance.
After his surprising exit from the UFC earlier this year, Ngannou made it clear he wanted to pursue his dreams of boxing a world-class pugilist next. After being linked to several high-profile boxers over the past few months, Ngannou is set to make his professional boxing debut against 'The Gypsy King' on October 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Given Fury's status as the WBC heavyweight champion, many expect this fight to go the Englishman's way. However, Tyson holds a different opinion. In a recent interview on The Jim Rome Show, Tyson said:
"Tyson Fury got dropped by a small guy early in his career. [Francis] punches like God knows who, man. He’s an athlete, he moves quicker, works with his speed, and he only has to land one or two. Tyson’s never been in the ring with somebody that can punch this hard."