From working in the sand mines at the age of ten to becoming a global megastar: Francis Ngannou’s incredible story has transcended the world of combat sports.
Following his two professional boxing defeats to Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury, ‘The Predator’ will make his eagerly awaited return to the octagon this Saturday.
And so, here is everything you need to know about Francis Ngannou, the widely celebrated knockout artist.
What age is Francis Ngannou?
Francis Zavier Ngannou was born on September 5, 1986, in Batie, Cameroon. He currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
As of June 2025, he is 38 years old.
Francis Ngannou’s height and weight
According to Tapology, Ngannou stands at 6’4’’ tall, with a remarkable reach of 83’’.
While competing in the UFC, Ngannou was among a few heavyweights who would cut down to the 265 lb limit for title fights.
For his professional boxing bout against Joshua, though, he weighed in at 272 lbs.
Francis Ngannou X/Twitter and Instagram accounts
Ngannou has over 1 million followers on his X account, @francis_ngannou, where he posts regular updates of his training.
The former UFC heavyweight champion is active on Instagram too, boasting over 7m followers. You can follow him @francisngannou.
Francis Ngannou MMA record
| W-L-D | (T)KO | Sub |
| 21-3-0 | 11 | 5 |
Francis Ngannou’s boxing record
| W-L-D | (T)KO |
| 0-2-0 | 0-1 |
Francis Ngannou career earnings
Following his lucrative showdowns with Joshua and Fury, Ngannou’s career disclosed earnings stand at $32m, according to Tapology.
Francis Ngannou next fight
Ngannou is gearing up for his first MMA outing in over two years, returning to the octagon against PFL heavyweight champion Renan Ferreira on October 19.
Who did Francis Ngannou lose to?
Ngannou’s first notable defeat arrived back in 2018, when he stepped up to face UFC legend Stipe Miocic in his first heavyweight title shot, only to be outpointed by the seasoned operator through five rounds.
Ngannou’s only other UFC loss came against Derrick Lewis, who outpointed him in a closer affair over three rounds immediately after the Miocic defeat.
In professional boxing, Ngannou famously lost a controversial split decision against Fury in 2023, after flooring the champion in the third round.
He then suffered an emphatic second-round stoppage defeat to Joshua earlier this year.
Francis Ngannou vs Alistair Overeem
Ngannou simply blew MMA fans away with his pulverizing finish against Alistair Overeem back in 2017.
The fearsome heavyweight landed a jaw-dropping uppercut before securing a scintillating first-round stoppage, which catapulted him into his first title fight against Miocic.
Stipe Miocic vs Francis Ngannou 2
In 2021, Ngannou was presented with an opportunity to exact revenge on his former foe, something he most certainly did not take lightly.
And so, the destructive striker ultimately did what he does best, halting proceedings in the second round to claim the UFC heavyweight title.
Francis Ngannou vs Ciryl Gane
Now, against Ciryl Gane – his only UFC title defense – Ngannou swiftly found himself in a much more complicated battle.
In the end, Ngannou claimed a victory on points, although many still believe that his opponent had done enough to win.