Francis Ngannou believes it's a matter of destiny.
He will be UFC heavyweight champion.
The 6'4", 262-pound knockout artist from Cameroon believes it with the placid, yet unshakable certainty of a man who has already survived the worst things in life.
From the abject poverty of his youth to living homeless on the streets of Paris in his late 20s, Ngannou has pursued the dream of combat sports stardom fueled largely on his own steadfast self belief.
This Saturday at UFC 220, he gets his chance to prove himself right.
Standing in Ngannou's way is champion Stipe Miocic, the hard-hitting Cleveland native who also has a lot to fight for.