Ngannou has found fame and fortune through fightingCredit: AFP

Desperate to help his family financially, Ngannou began to work in the sand mines and did so for seven years – the gruelling job made him become much bigger and stronger than others his age.

The former UFC heavyweight champion found boxing in his teens, but it wasn’t until he turned 26 that he decided to travel to France to pursue his fight dream.

It proved to be an incredible 14-month journey that saw him cross the Sahara Desert, drink dirty ‘dead animal’ water, and spend time in prison.

“My journey from Cameroon to Paris was 14 months. I couldn’t go to the airport and take a plane to France, I had to use all the back doors,” Ngannou explained on The Joe Roan Experience in 2022.

Ngannou’s first travelled to Nigeria which was pretty easy because it shares an open border with Cameroon, and he didn’t need a visa to enter – but he still needed to travel 400 miles to Kano.

Next, the 37-year-old made the trip to Niger, and it was more problematic.

This time, he needed a visa to enter the country and the only way to get around it was by paying bribes to the police and border control officers.

“There we started to be illegal because for us to get there we need a visa, but from there we didn’t have a visa,” Ngannou said.

The former UFC champion grew up in poverty and went to great lengths to escape itCredit: @francisngannou – instagram

Ngannou worked in the Cameroon sand mines for much of his childhoodCredit: @francisngannou – instagram

“So, we had to deal with the police, border protection officers, you get caught they ask you for money, like a bribe, you don’t want to give all your money, you need that to survive.”

The man, who will make millions for his boxing debut fight with Fury on October 28, was forced to swallow his money to avoid local law enforcement taking it from him.

After experiencing corruption first-hand, Ngannou began his journey to Algeria, and it took a potentially life-threatening turn when he was crammed into the back of a truck with 25 people to cross the Sahara Desert.

On the brink of dying of dehydration, he was forced to drink water that had “dead animals” in it before trying to get through the Algerian border with a fake ID.

“All Malian citizens in Algeria, they don’t even need a visa. They are free as long as they have ID. So, we are all black. We look the same. We are all from Mali, but we have to prove it,” he continued.

Ngannou admitted he was “scared as s***” when questioned by Algerian officers over the legitimacy of his identification, but he managed to travel through the country to Morocco.

Things didn’t get any easier. Ngannou aimed to make it to one of two Spanish islands – Ceuta or Melilla – as once he was there he could claim asylum.

After one year, six failed attempts, and a visit to a Moroccan hospital after he cut himself on barbed wire, Ngannou made it to Spain by boat despite being pursued by a police helicopter.

The former UFC fighter finally arrived at his destination after 14 monthsCredit: @francis_ngannou – Twitter

“Morocco is a nightmare for immigration,” he added.

“It’s like the hell country for immigration because it is a country closer to Europe. At some point, the land in Morocco is just five miles from Spain.

“If you fail, they are going to bring you back to the south and throw you in the desert to let you go. It’s their own way to say, ‘Go back to your own country.’”

Once he made it to Spain, he was jailed for two months before being released.

Today, he is a millionaire who trains with boxing legend Mike TysonCredit: Mike Tyson – Instagram

6Ngannou will finally make his professional boxing debut next monthCredit: Mikey Williams/Top Rank

Ngannou was unable to be deported because of his false documentation and ultimately settled in France after opting against travelling to the UK due to its strict border controls.

The fan-favourite fighter fare dodged his way to Paris on a train, and that’s where he ultimately found MMA and earned a contract from Dana White’s promotion.

Eight years later, he is one of the biggest stars in the sport despite recently parting ways with the UFC following a lengthy dispute about his contact.

Ngannou will continue to compete in MMA with the Professional Fighters League [PFL] but won’t make his debut for the UFC’s biggest rival until 2024.

First, he’s set to make millions for a fight with Fury in boxing and finally realise the squared circle dream that motivated his wild journey across the globe.