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UFC Star Jorge Masvidal Shares Incredible 10-Year-Old Francis Ngannou “Sand Mines” Story

Published 01/22/2023, 2:45 PM EST

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The world of sports gives an opportunity to many athletes to change their lives. A similar story has been shared by Jorge Masvidal. In a Facebook post, Jorge Masvidal shared a story about heavyweight fighter Francis Ngannou‘s childhood struggles. The post talks about how Ngannou started working in sand mines when he was only 10 years of age. Francis Ngannou has recently left the UFC. He is currently a free agent. Francis Ngannou was not very happy with the UFC’s contract. Ngannou displays a great work ethic and is one of the best fighters in the heavyweight division, but his journey is one to know about.

In the post shared by ‘Gamebred’, Francis Ngannou shared how he started working very early in his life. He also mentioned how there was a time when he had to contribute to the household’s needs for oil or ration. The story makes Ngannou look like one of those fighters who have made it big in their lives; starting with humble beginnings.

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Francis Ngannou moved from one relative to another

The story discusses in detail how Francis Ngannou had to balance his food essentials and ration needs with his scholarships. The ex-heavyweight champ talked about his childhood. He said, “‘I was about 10 years old when I started working in sand mines. Because I was in the village where I grew up.

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Ngannou also described how he would move from his aunt’s house to his grandmother’s house in his early days. ‘The Predator’ further recounted, “You have to work, even though that work was meant for adults, but we didn’t have any option, so we take what we had at the time. I didn’t like my life, and I anyways felt like I missed my childhood… I had to work by that age and it wasn’t enough.”

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Ngannou then added how, despite being interested in studies, he would face challenges frequently. He said, When school starts I gonna go to school and most of the time still didn’t have a pen to take notes or a notebook to write on it. Sometimes no shoes or clothes. My uniform was torn all over and I was frustrated to look around and see other kids looking good.”

Ngannou left UFC after disagreement

Francis Ngannou had to make an exit from the UFC recently after he was left unhappy with some of the UFC terms of the contract. Although speculations were ripe that Jon Jones will be fighting ‘The Predator’ at UFC 285, the fight went to Ciryl Gane after Ngannou walked away from the UFC.

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Francis Ngannou is someone who understands the value of money; his leaving the UFC is a sign that everything might not be great in the promotion. Where do you think Francis Ngannou is headed? Let us know.

Watch This Story: Jon Jones UFC deal Compared to Francis Ngannou and Brock Lesnar

 

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Written by:

Akshay Pallav

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Akshay Pallav is a UFC writer at EssentiallySports. Having completed his undergraduation from National Institute of Fashion Technology in Apparel Production, he has been a sports enthusiast all his life and has several medals at the University level across multiple sports including basketball, badminton, track and field. He aspires to interview Conor McGregor and Cristiano Ronaldo someday.
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Edited by:

Vineet Nandwana