'I had nothing but a dream & faith': UFC's Ngannou shares throwback pic of jail release after migrant journey to Europe

UFC heavyweight powerhouse Francis Ngannou has shared a throwback image to demonstrate just how far he has come in recent years, from being jailed for illegal entry into Europe to one of the hottest names in MMA.

With four spectacular first-round knockout victories in his past four fights, Ngannou has cemented his status as one of the most explosive performers in the UFC.

Yet as the Cameroonian giant showed in a social media image on Thursday, things were all very different just seven years ago when he made his way as an immigrant into Europe.  

“2013: 7 years ago we were freed by Spanish homeland security after spending 2 months in jail for illegally entering Europe by sea. This, after attempting for one year from Morocco. I had nothing (back) then but a dream and a faith of pursuing it," Ngannou, 33, wrote as he shared a smiling image of himself with long hair, standing on a set of steps and wearing a Reebok T-shirt.  

"Some people will always tell you that it’s too late, that you can’t make it, that it’s not meant for you, that you’re not worth it, or that you can’t succeed without them (while their lives aren’t an example of success).

"Those voices are always around the corner to make you quit your dream and maybe your destiny. It’s up to you and only you if you let them get to your mind, but you can also reject or ignore the negativities around you and make it in your own way,” he added. 

A former sand quarry worker as a child, and hailing from a family of street fighters, Ngannou has described his journey to Europe as "hell."   

“I left Cameroon at the age of 26, and it took me more than a year to make it to France because I went by road, from Cameroon to Nigeria, to Niger where I crossed Algeria and Morocco through the Mediterranean Sea to Spain.

"I spent a year in Morocco before moving to Spain – it was hell,” Ngannou previously said.

On being released from a Spanish prison, Ngannou made his way to Paris, where he was initially homeless while he pursued his dream as a boxer.

His fate changed, however, when he wandered into a Paris gym known as MMA Factory.

The man known as 'The Predator' is now widely touted as a UFC heavyweight title contender again, having failed in his first bid at gold against Stipe Miocic in early 2018.

The hulking Ngannou has also been linked to a potential 'superfight' with UFC light heavyweight king Jon Jones, although negotiations for the bout appear to have fallen at the first hurdle over pay demands, prompting a bitter row between Jones and the UFC.

Ngannou has been pictured getting tips from the likes of boxing legend Mike Tyson, as the Cameroonian continues to ignite arguably as much excitement as any name in the UFC when he fights, such is his phenomenal punching power.

In his last octagon outing, Ngannou needed just 20 seconds to flatten the previously unbeaten Jairzinho Rozenstruik at UFC 249 in May.