Francis Ngannou Record, stats and next fight

Analysis

Francis Ngannou established himself as the most feared puncher of his generation at heavyweight, before leaving the UFC at the top to explore professional boxing and then reclaim an MMA title under the PFL banner. His journey, from a Cameroonian village to the top of world MMA, remains one of the most unusual in the sport.

Background

Born September 5, 1986, in Batié, Cameroon, Francis Zavier Ngannou grew up in difficult conditions before emigrating to France as an adult to pursue a boxing career, then turning to MMA. He first trained at MMA Factory in Paris under Fernand Lopez, where he developed punching power considered the highest ever measured in professional MMA. His professional debut came in 2013, with an opening decision loss to Zoumana Cissé before a run of wins that caught the attention of UFC scouts.

UFC Career, Then PFL

Ngannou joined the UFC in the summer of 2015 and won by KO in his debut fight that December, before putting together six straight finishes. His first title attempt, at UFC 220 in January 2018, ended in a decision loss to Stipe Miocic. He won the heavyweight belt on March 28, 2021, by knocking out that same Miocic at UFC 260, then defended his title by decision against Ciryl Gane in January 2022. In September 2022, a contract dispute with the UFC led him to leave the organization, vacating his title.

He then turned to professional boxing, suffering a controversial points loss to Tyson Fury in October 2023, followed by a KO loss to Anthony Joshua in March 2024. In May 2023, he also signed with the Professional Fighters League for its “Super Fight” division, and returned to MMA in October 2024 by beating Renan Ferreira by technical knockout, becoming PFL heavyweight champion. This comeback, at age 38, confirmed his place among the rare fighters to have run top-level MMA and professional boxing careers side by side.

Fighting Style

At 6’4″ (193 cm), with a reach of 6’11” (211 cm) and extraordinary punching power, Ngannou built his style around the one-shot knockout, whether with his hands or his feet. Coached since 2018 by Eric Nicksick at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, he has gradually improved his takedown defense and distance management, weaknesses that had cost him his first title attempt against Miocic. His two KO wins over Curtis Blaydes, the second in 44 seconds, remain among the most cited pure power displays in recent MMA history, before his points losses to Miocic and then Derrick Lewis pushed him to rework his pace management at range.

Record

• Professional MMA record: 18 wins, 3 losses
• Wins by KO/TKO: 13
• Wins by submission: 4
• Wins by decision: 1
• Titles: UFC heavyweight champion (2021 to 2022), PFL heavyweight champion (since 2024)
• Honors: six Performance of the Night bonuses in the UFC

Fighter Profile

• Full name: Francis Zavier Ngannou
• Nickname: The Predator
• Born: September 5, 1986, in Batié, Cameroon
• Nationality: Cameroonian and French
• Height: 6’4″ (193 cm)
• Reach: 6’11” (211 cm)
• Weight class: Heavyweight
• Team: Xtreme Couture (Las Vegas)
• Coach: Eric Nicksick
• Base: standup striking (boxing and savate)

Sources

• fr.wikipedia.org
• en.wikipedia.org