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“I Was Ashamed of Myself”: Francis Ngannou Says He Didn’t Want the Sun to Rise Anymore After Stipe Miocic Loss

Published 11/23/2021, 10:21 AM EST

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MMA fighters put in a lot of blood and sweat to survive in such a tough and competitive sport. When they lose fights, it can be quite heartbreaking because it takes weeks and months to prepare for each fight. Francis Ngannou recently talked about a moment in his career when he felt that way.

While he is currently the UFC heavyweight champion, he has experienced a few losses in the sport. Back in 2018, Ngannou faced Stipe Miocic and unfortunately lost. It was a huge bout for ‘The Predator’ because he was challenging Miocic for the title.

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However, the loss affected him a lot emotionally. Speaking about his loss against Miocic in 2018, Ngannou said, “I went home, I was so bad about myself. Like I was going to sleep and hoping that the sun, the day doesn’t rise anymore.”

He continued, “I had a reaction, and what I did? I booked the next, the first flight to Cameroon. I took my phone, and I was sitting there like ‘Dang, first flight to Cameroon’. I was ashamed on myself like I didn’t even want people to recognize me.”

However, Ngannou was treated like a king in his home country. People recognized him and acknowledged his efforts and work. This treatment confused the fighter because he was coming off a huge loss. However, for the people in his country, it was a big deal seeing a fellow countryman reach such heights in MMA.

Ngannou further said, “Since then, they changed the way of looking at me back home, you know. So they kind of like pay a lot of attention of every one thing that I was doing.”

Ngannou seems to have spread MMA in his country and has gained many fans. Becoming the UFC heavyweight champion in 2021 would have made his country proud.

How many times has Francis Ngannou lost in MMA?

Ngannou has a great MMA record of 16 wins and 3 losses. He has lost against Derrick Lewis, Stipe Miocic, and Zoumana Cisse. The fighter is currently on a 5-fight win streak and fans hope to see exciting title defense fights in his future.

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“I Don’t Think He Wanted It” – Stipe Miocic Says Jon Jones Rejected Fight Against Him

It is great that Ngannou was able to avenge his loss against Miocic. However, Miocic is interested in a trilogy fight. A third fight between the fighters would be an exhilarating one for sure.

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What do you think about Francis Ngannou’s reaction to losing against Stipe Miocic? Let us know in the comments below.

Watch this story: Five Jon Jones Record That Will Not be Broken Anytime Soon

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Written by:

Rohini Kottu

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Rohini Kottu is a UFC Writer at EssentiallySports. She is also a Psychologist and has a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology. Rohini, in her role as a UFC writer, combines her admiration for the mental resilience that MMA fighters have and her love for analysis.
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