"One of the most moving and impactful conversations" - When Joe Rogan was all praises for Francis Ngannou after the latter's appearance on JRE podcast
![Joe Rogan (left) and Francis Ngannou (right) [Photo credit: @ufc on Instagram]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/04/1d5d1-16487975821544-1920.jpg?w=500)
Joe Rogan previously had Francis Ngannou as a guest on episode 99 of the JRE MMA Show in what he called "one of the most moving" conversations he's had.
A month before he dethroned Stipe Miocic to become the UFC heavyweight champion, Ngannou appeared on Rogan's podcast to share his incredible journey. 'The Predator' told the story of how he went from working in the sand mines in Cameroon to becoming a world-renowned athlete.
The veteran UFC commentator was apparently inspired by Ngannou's journey, so much so that he was compelled to post about their conversation on social media. On Instagram, Rogan wrote:
"This podcast I did with [Francis Ngannou] was one of the most moving and impactful conversations I’ve ever had. He details his insane 14 month journey from Cameroon to Europe, and it is just fucking incredible. He talks about his journey from wanting to make something with his life living in a small village to who he is today; the number one [UFC] heavyweight contender about to fight for the title. The struggle this man describes is just mind blowing. Available now on [Spotify].
Check out the Instagram post below:
Ngannou, of course, inarguably has one of the most inspiring life stories in the UFC. As a young boy, 'The Predator' dreamt of becoming a world boxing champion to save his family from poverty. He found himself in Paris, France at the age of 26, where he pursued professional boxing and eventually MMA.
Francis Ngannou recounts his hardships on the Joe Rogan Experience
Francis Ngannou told Joe Rogan how he started working in the sand mines in Cameroon as a kid. The UFC superstar recalled:
"I about was 10 years old when I started [working in the sand mines] because I was in the village, where I grew up. After I lived in my aunt's house, I lived with my grandma and we had to do something. We had to work to contribute at home to buy water, to buy food, and also for our scholarship – for books. So you have to work. That's how we started. Even though that work was meant for adults, but we didn't have any options so we took what we had at the time."
One year ago today, @francis_ngannou put his power on display against Stipe Miocic to become the UFC heavyweight champ 😳 https://t.co/NQR4CUEo5J
Ngannou's fairytale ending came a few weeks after his appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience. 'The Predator' knocked out Miocic to capture the UFC heavyweight title. He successfully defended the belt for the first time against former teammate Ciryl Gane earlier this year.
Listen to Francis Ngannou's interview on The Joe Rogan Experience: