Francis Ngannou Breaks Down Sharing Heartbreaking Story: "I Don't Know The Purpose Of Fighting Anymore", "I Feel Powerless", "I Don't Know How To Deal With This!"

The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett

Crossing oceans, deserts, national borders, and finally the entrance to the UFC ring, you've never heard a journey like Francis Ngannou's

Francis Ngannou is a martial artist, professional boxer, and Lineal Combat Sports Heavyweight World Champion. He became UFC Heavyweight Champion in 2021 and holds an MMA record of 17 wins and 12 victories by knockout.

In this conversation, Francis and Steven discuss topics such as, Francis’ painful childhood, how Francis worked in a sand mine aged 10 and dreamt of boxing, his struggle to find a place to train, and the death of his 15-month-old son.

00:00 Intro

02:13 My Childhood: Surviving on Less Than $1000 a Year

06:17 Overcoming Struggles in Rural Cameroon

12:52 My Dream of Becoming a Professional Boxer

14:59 Choosing a Different Path Than My Father

17:27 Growing Up with a Violent Father

18:11 Coping with My Father's Death at 15

19:57 Wishing for One More Day with My Dad

24:22 The Struggles Of Chasing My Boxing Dream

25:30 The INSANE Journey to Reach Europe

28:41 How We Survived the Sahara Desert!

32:47 The Hardest Part of My Journey

34:59 Waiting to Cross the Border

36:53 Two Ways Out: Swimming the Ocean or Climbing the Barbed Wire Fence

42:15 Six Attempts to Cross the Sea in a Dinghy

49:02 Months of Survival in the Forest

50:56 Evading Police Radars

58:26 Calling the Red Cross for Help

01:02:60 Two Months in a Detention Center

01:05:07 Surviving on 50 Euros

01:07:49 My Coach's Support: A Place to Stay and Guidance

01:10:15 My First Experience with MMA

01:11:12 Facing Rejection: No One Wanted to Fight Me in Paris

01:12:40 How I Made It to the UFC

01:14:20 My First Fight in America

01:16:04 Winning the UFC Heavyweight Title

01:21:10 The Conversation with Dana White

01:24:31 How the Contract Took My Freedom

01:27:44 The UFC Contract and Its Clauses

01:29:40 Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou

01:32:41 My Future Goals in Fighting

01:34:53 Ads

01:35:51 The Truth Behind the Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou Fight

01:43:17 Coping with the Death of My Baby Son

01:47:29 Going Through Grief

01:52:37 Returning to Cameroon

01:59:05 The Last Guest Question

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Sponsors:

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Colgate - https://www.colgate.com/en-gb/colgate-total

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