Francis Ngannou is one of the biggest punchers in MMA history – but he kicked off his career with several submission wins.
In 2013, after his arduous journey from Cameroon to France, the former UFC heavyweight champion made his MMA debut for the 100% Fight promotion at an event in Paris.
Ngannou escaped poverty by fightingCredit: @francisngannou – instagram
Fellow debutante Rachid Benzina was the unlucky soul matched up against Ngannou, who used skills he rarely shows to get the job done in under two minutes.
Benzina felt Ngannou’s power straight away. ‘The Predator’ dropped him with the first punch he landed before wobbling him two more times and forcing the fight in a different direction.
Ngannou’s opponent tried to pull guard, but he ended up with the 6ft 4in, 265lb beast on top of him in the mount position, which is one of the most dominant positions in MMA.
Most people sit back to get the pressure needed to finish an armbar, but Anthony Joshua’s last opponent just pulled his hips, pushed Benzina’s head towards the canvas, and forced him to tap out.
By the time the UFC signed him, Ngannou had a 5-1 record, which included three submission wins and suggested he was a bigger threat on the ground than on the feet.
As we all know, that couldn’t be further from the truth. It quickly became clear Ngannou was a striker at heart when he hit his UFC debut opponent, Curtis Blaydes, so hard his eye swelled shut.
The 37-year-old added another submission finish to his record against Anthony Hamilton, but for the most part, he was putting people to sleep in the Octagon.
Most famously, he landed a sickening uppercut that sent Alistair Overeem flying through the air and left him out cold when he collapsed to the floor in a heap.
Top contender Jairzinho Rozenstruik got hit in the head and bounced off the fence after being KO’d by Ngannou, who ultimately became a champion by folding Stipe Miocic in half with one shot.
Ngannou hasn’t fought in MMA since outpointing his old training partner, Ciryl Gane, in a heavyweight unification fight at UFC 270 in January 2022.
Ngannou won his MMA debut by submissionCredit: Nᴏɪʀs ᴠs Aʀᴀʙᴇs 2020 – YouTube
But he’s known for his scary KO powerCredit: getty
The fan favourite famously left MMA’s premier promotion after a contract dispute, and since then he’s had boxing bouts with Tyson Fury and Joshua.
He’ll return to his first sport on October 19. The 6ft 8in KO artist Renan Fereira will welcome him back to the cage at a PFL show in Saudi Arabia.
Everyone is expecting a striking battle, but Ngannou has shown that he is more than capable of finishing his opponents on the floor when he wants to.