Francis “The Predator” Ngannou (12-3 MMA, 7-2 UFC) announced today on Instagram that he has opened the first-ever full MMA gym in his native home of Cameroon.
Ngannou was born in Batié, Cameroon, a village in the western portion of the country. Ngannou experienced a youth plagued by poverty and hardship, even joining the labor force at the young age of twelve to help his family make ends meet.
Ngannou worked at the local sand quarry, an extremely arduous job that consisted of difficult physical labor. During his formative years, Ngannou also faced pressures to join local gangs.