Francis Ngannou is one of those icons of the fighting world right now who does look scary, but like the comic book Hulk, he is also a soft-hearted person. The former UFC heavyweight champion is known for his strength, as well as for his sweet gestures outside the cage and the ring.
The relationship between Ngannou and his past coach may have gotten bitter, but his recent coach, Eric Nicksick, has always been his big support inside and outside the cage. Francis Ngannou is now getting ready to make a comeback from his defeat against Tyson Fury in 2024.
Eric Nicksick reveals Francis Ngannou’s heartwarming gesture
By the time the first defeat for Francis Ngannou against Fury was on the papers, his MMA coach looked happier than any of the officials. Erick Nicksick found himself surprised by Ngannou’s deed even after losing the boxing match against Fury.
It was something so emotional from the side of Ngannou that literally brought tears to the eyes of his coach when the next day he woke up and found something that he had never expected while sleeping the night before.
In a recent interview, Eric Nicksick was enquired about his student Francis Ngannou, and during the conversation, he said, “It was the most money I’ve ever been paid by a fighter—it was unbelievable.” Eric compared the payment he received from “The Predator” with that of his other students.
According to NickSick, Francis Ngannou’s deed had done enough to bring not just tears to his eyes but also settled him for the rest of his life. “It was more than I expected. Obviously, Francis has always taken great care of me, but it floored me. When I saw my Wells Fargo account that morning, it literally brought me to tears. That’s a true story. He literally brought me to tears because he changed my life—not only from a professional standpoint but from a monetary standpoint.”
“It allowed me a lot of financial freedom to allow me to be able to enjoy my coaching, enjoy being a dad and a husband and I get to take my kids to Park City this weekend, my daughter’s 16th birthday. Helped us buy a new car. There’s a lot of things with Francis moving over to boxing, and the way he takes care of his team. He loves every single one of us and he shows it. He takes care of us, and I couldn’t thank him enough.”
Later, Eric also mentioned how this amount helped him in celebrating his daughter’s 16th birthday and buying the house and car. The coach appreciated his student, how much he loved his team, and his ideology of not leaving anyone behind.
Who will Francis Ngannou fight next?
After Deontay Wilder faced defeat at the hands of Otto Wallin, he failed to fulfill the conditional contract that Wilder and Anthony Joshua agreed to. Joshua and Deontay were supposed to fight each other in March of this year if they both won the match.
Joshua did secure the victory against Joseph Park, but the 38-year-old failed to fulfill the condition on December 23, 2023. Now the chances are that Francis Ngannou may face him in the boxing ring next.
However, it is almost evident that Ngannou will get into the cage once again, as he is already part of the PFL and has to debut in 2024. Francis Ngannou also last fought in January 2022 against Ciryl Gane with an injured knee. After recovering in 2 years, he made a comeback in the boxing ring this time, but he also made sure not to disappoint his MMA fans while signing a PFL contract.
What are your thoughts on where Francis Ngannou will be heading? Will it be in the boxing ring or this time in the MMA cage?
