Carlos Takam Claims Francis Ngannou Was a Boxer Before He Became World Champion in the UFC [Exclusive]

In contrast to what most understand, Francis Ngannou is not that new to boxing after all. There is a consensus that the Cameroonian-French Heavyweight is transitioning his combat career from the MMA format to boxing. However, in an exclusive conversation with Essentially Sports’ Sahil Sood, hosted by Press Box PR, heavyweight Carlos Takam offered a contrasting view.

On the 8th of March, over this weekend, Ngannou undertakes his second pro-fight at the Kingdom Arena of Riyadh. He fights two-time champion, Anthony Joshua, after having minutely lost to the WBC champion, Tyson Fury, in his debut, last year. Carlos Takam’s comments on Ngannou, however, shed light on a little-known phase of his boxing dream.

His fellow Cameroon-origin heavyweight, Takam noted to Sood, “People always say, Francis Ngannou come from MMA to boxing, whatever, whatever. But I just don’t wanna talk… Francis Ngannou come to the boxing, to MMA, and now, he leave the MMA to the boxing, okay. So, he doesn’t come to MMA through boxing. No, he started from boxing. After boxing, he went to the MMA…. Yes, Francis Ngannou is a boxer before he become world champion in UFC.”

In his homeland of Cameroon in Africa, a young Ngannou trained in a local gym. He dreamt of becoming like his idol, Mike Tyson—a boxer the world would one day celebrate. He hardly ever envisioned a successful career in the MMA format; boxing was always his calling. In that aspect, he was first a boxer even before he stepped into the octagon, as Takam said.

Francis Ngannou: From Boxing to MMA to Boxing again

It was after he left Cameroon, looking for a better life and career in combat sports, especially boxing. After hiking through the Saharan desert, and warring off the wild Mediterranean sea, with a fake Senegalese passport, penniless, Ngannou arrived in Paris. Over there he wandered into a local gym, where he was greeted by coach Didier Carmont. Carmont helped Ngannou figure out his living conditions and began training the fighter for free. Crucially, making him an MMA fighter.

Still wanting to be a boxer, he found MMA practical. When the gym closed for the summer, he bumped into Fernand Lopez and the MMA Factory, taking his official steps into the MMA. After powering through the fight format, he stood at a staggering UFC record of 17-3-0. After 8 years of reign in the octagon, he now finds himself arriving at the dream- being the best in boxing.

Also Read: Francis Ngannou Reveals Three Heavyweight Boxers He Always Dreamed of Fighting

With his determination and goodwill from the octagon, he’s been able to book elite opponents like Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, a feat unmatched till today. Will he be able to usher in his era in the realm of boxing? What do you think of his story? Let us know in the comments section below.

Also Read: Francis Ngannou Ranked in Top 10 Despite Tyson Fury Loss: Do WBC Rankings Make Sense?