Joe Rogan Experience #10099 — Francis Ngannou Transcript

Transcript

0:00 the joe rogan experience train by day joe rogan podcast by night all day you're talking about different podcasts, I remember when you first went to the UFC, And I couldn't even hear people, like, water. No, permanently, because I travel a lot. Oh, okay. for the second time for the second time yeah the redemption the redemption well what was the first

4:06 prepare for this kind of fight and I had this fight like six weeks six weeks earlier so I was spending in the octagon from the rest of my career. that was my first wow yeah so just eight years ago yeah and two years after that i was four friends a fight in France and you know in France the crown and pound is yet until I fought this guy in Bahrain named William Badulti and I knocked him out in the second round.

8:47 Like, I'm going to fight to be seen in the whole world. And I couldn't get it. about uh at the time was boxing then uh I found myself I found myself there in two years then I'm I mean, you know, I'm a tough guy, you know, so I'm going to handle it. You have to know somebody. Nobody knows me with my accent. You just feel bad about yourself. Hell yeah.

13:02 Visas are very expensive? i didn't even have a bank account what for you know half my few my few pounds uh And over years, I'm like, okay, at this point, I was driving a motorcycle, doing taxi with motorcycle. And by the time my family thought I was, people around thought I was going crazy. you know, Jean-Marie Mebe, And that's why people are like,

16:53 you know i'm like yeah fact point taken but you know i love this shit i I'm just going to try it. So you just had a desire. I should have done this. Boxing. I'm like, yeah like yeah maybe but whatever at the end of the day what truly matters you know at least i will do what i want for some time France and I was there was seen they were seeing me on TV and calling me or

20:22 and you still achieved yours. You're not going to be able to feed your family. And in Africa, when you have your point of view, which is opposite to what your parents or your elders will have, You're just going to follow the family footstep. Obey about everything. because the reality is not enough for them. get myself ready to gather those stuff whenever I shows up and this is from the time you were a boy

25:12 I was just six years old. my mom up, beating us up. Like, shit. my reputation was something to save and uh growing in cameron we drink a lot of beer a lot you know and since i already i had a dream of becoming i had a dream Even when you were young? i believed so much in that dream and it's crazy i don't know if it was me like just too And that's how we started,

29:27 It's also your body must develop very strong from doing something like that. it's something missing in it because it's been too much frustration in my life. I will copy the note from this year in the new book. you can't just time it's going to be even with the money that i work that they're going to buy my pen or my book because all the time when they kick you out in front of 50 60 student it's not a

33:36 And that's how I technically grew up by myself. And they don't do, they don't work, they don't deserve shit. from there, I wanted something to prove them wrong. I can't be between. And before Then I get to school and the school closes at maybe 4 to 5. all different form from other kids and nobody could have understand that you know he was just on me and i was the

37:35 That was the only thing to do. he's raining all the time guess what that was our opportunity when they don't want to work. So we have a chance to work. and our employer will love that because you work even more than normal and uh yeah so that's how we do it. Did I see that on Instagram? I that I go back home I'll go back to those all those places that I used to

41:28 The smells, everything reminds you something. Not just for them because it helps me. Look, this is my life. So I'm living into it right now. You're living the dream. Because they don't even have a dream. little different they are like they have a dream they're hoping to uh change their life those inspired they say oh yeah yeah those who has and and i think that's um even why um some of the

45:35 francis did it i mean i might don't do the same thing but i can get to what i want to you know Francis Nganou Foundation. You know, so I can train, you know. you know, like somebody care about them. dream you leave cameroon you you end up in france you end up in paris is that where you went and which is like my village concerned about I don't even know.

50:27 and I gave some of my savings to my little sister to keep it so you better don't have all your money you ask me where i'm going and i tell you because i couldn't tell nobody like uh i remember i went And I went to my mom. And I couldn't tell nobody that I'm leaving because I knew that from there I'm going. He got sick. So it was clear in my mind that I have to leave.

55:05 Yeah. And so it took me like two days in Nigeria, across the whole Nigeria in two days, They ask you for money. everywhere everything of value that that they see they will take it so it was a um it was a game the uh desert desert and you have to like figure out your own way back and it's hot no water people small truck and put your you are not allowed for

59:35 So they don't have speed limit. Because if the car break up in the middle of the trip, most of the time it's over. Yeah. Because if you let him go, you fall and that's it. And it's a whole day. Yeah. Letting go is like letting letting your life go you know it's over if i let him go there is not second chance and um after a few hours they might stop so you guys can stretch up a little bit

1:02:39 She just wanted to throw the baby away. At some point we don't get, or maybe a little after the middle of the trip, They just bring, and those who are still in the truck. It's like oil on your face. Algeria, might kill me. But guess what? I would die after if i don't drink this water i'm not lasting long In every country, you know who is their good allies.

1:06:52 are black. We look the same. and how are you like how are you getting you still get money. You still get money. You kept some money. You know, currency. a lot of problem they are making money on you but at least you have a solution of your problem And then I'm like, why all black people here are maliant? like a check when he comes to me i'm like oh i take just take my hands up before he asks me i give him my id i

1:10:33 Are you second guessing yourself at all during this point? that's how it is so you get tied and tied and tied and tied and at some point like what you're talking about what was morocco like morocco is a nightmare for immigration Oh, I can tell you. for them, you're the oldest one. of iron, you know. they kill people they kill people Africa to go to Europe so they were like okay don't let people come down like

1:15:26 they don't joke on you. it's a call in Spain. like Like, this week I was watching a movie about some movie showing some part of that. There it is. Because every time that you attempt, and it's not easy, you have to prepare to go attempt. So it's their own way Algerians, they don't want you there. go back from where you were It's like, it's about 11 miles of fence

1:20:06 everywhere yeah plus you have like i don't know maybe uh the first one is like three time my high You guys, someone has to go and look around and see where there's a weakness somewhere to look. how do they from this box to that box is like um maybe 50 yard or 100 yard but sometimes they are like You know, sometimes the barbed wire just like. But they don't know exactly what time or when.

1:25:17 it's technology, but it's not always like accurate. all day long you know but the guajar civil man all the technology the motorcycles the car even And we went and those who touch the fence, they get really hurt. Big as I am, they know that I'm the leader. Then I went to the fence, look at the fence like this. so how'd you get back over I know I get back in the I found a place because they

1:29:43 i'm taking my chance i'm not every day I'm taking my chance. the police gonna cut me because they see there no there's a attack they know there are a lot of wounded people. Oh, yeah. though because this this is in the north the south is very far so you're gonna go to bring Then you figure your way up between Algerian military Kind of There's not somebody around. then you start to walk at least you know like okay i'm going to the north i'm following that light which

1:34:06 hands like i don't believe this will happen one day i don't believe i will make it Just a small one, the one that they use in the swimming pool. That's the minimum. another Spain land in Morocco that was a deviation didn't work so you literally go in the middle like around five to six early in the morning It's the open moment. So after their prayer,

1:38:11 so there wasn't after three hours We have a target in the other side, the mountain. Because I always said, I can be a captain i know how to paddle and i'm like ah you just want to a free trip because when you're a captain you They're like, yeah, it's from Senegal. but once like oh today is not good man. We can't even try and yeah that day we And they kind of like gave up.

1:41:52 point before all of you guys we get there i put them i count the wave the waves like two, three because most of the time it's like three waves because the three Second one, put them. like i hold it like this i saw this thing came i'm like put my head in the water hold my boat like this and he came But more you go in the middle of the water, you don't see that wave anymore.

1:44:55 Then what happened? because I've been there many times. They went like down and they turn around. They call the boat protection, the water protection. Red Cross number. So, you They couldn't even see us. then another city, a few days, It took me about three weeks to get in Morocco. that the next time that I'm touching this world, I'm doing this. But the good thing is from there, people give me credit for being a captain.

1:50:11 and I'm like oh okay You're a hero. Yeah. So all the winter we couldn't make it. though it was your life is still hard for you to believe yep you know the It's risky. And he was in the dark. We put the air on our boat, right? We have to really be very careful. and we thought it was over. we just fell in the water like the stone and everything um we have we had a chance um our

1:55:03 And I'm like, with their torch, you know with the thought with their touch you know in the dark Like, come here. stupid or something like people get people die in the war in the ocean Well, as you say so. man for real my first time i couldn't die just just like this my family don't even know they won't even see my body man i won't even man and now like, I'm already into it.

1:58:08 yards away he was moving i'm like where were we the guy said like you don't see it that mountain at that moment like so excited i'm like patterning this side the guy my uh there were some guy here So at some point we just heard this guy he three of you guys so when they started when they pull you I gonna hang on it get out there, just put his head same thing that was the first time and this is the same thing. They take you down.

2:02:36 We didn't get beat up because the officer was there. Yeah, seventh time. That blocks the radar? Yes, it around the boat. That blocks the radar? And he gave us these tips, like, next time. Whoa. shit like it's over i I'm here for something. I'm done with that. they have a boat i would like you to come to a sea so we can take them together like i trust you

2:06:17 I need clothes and shoes. so we get back in the forest, we couldn't make it. And we always have somebody looking up, like looking for the police. because in the forest we put stones together build like a little shutter and then find a plastic and put on top of it not to get wet when we are sleeping whenever now when they say boom la you have to save your blanket and your

2:10:08 you ride it sometime, you just when you find out that you get surrounded to take all that risk so you have to stay quiet for like hours then under the I'm like, something's going on. Like, nothing is going well. I'm like, bro, I don't have time we're gonna organize we're gonna buy a boat i'm like like bro i don't have time to wait for we're gonna buy a boat uh sometime soon i'm going for

2:14:38 I said, I can't sleep here I'm like okay and for now But, you know, But I always give some little service to people to get money like first all that process to them and they like it so when somebody How did you finally get across? so that means you are not coming back here. But we can take 10. Because if you miscount, Right. But there are some people who did it

2:21:41 illegal. He's taking risk. everything together when they there were a lot of cops there. I'm like okay you guys if you want to go you better follow where the boat is going you can't come back Everything was perfect there. because most of the time oh i want to go to in europe i want to do this collect money buy the Take my money. like okay guys wait here let me go find the place. When something means to happen,

2:26:11 water you know because he doesn't you know you don't have to he doesn't have and the wave and so I'm like okay how where do we gonna go suddenly some place I told this guy, let's go. Ah, yeah. like fainting them, like, So he better keep going. we put everything together go in the water the water keep turning because in meteorologist report is that what you're saying like is that yeah the so the the just more the

2:31:14 here they are looking for something so now this is the decision to take either see that helicopter right I'm like we are right on the needy and there was like do you have a girl a because they said they are coming. we are done. I raised the paddle, shut the fuck up. Like, it's not them. Where think i saw them i raised the paddle shut the fuck up like it's not them where do you saw them i'm like i think you don't think either you see them or you don't see

2:34:39 Like some people threw the paddle as expected. Because they don't want us to fall in the water. Okay. One long journey. Yeah. And what do you have to tell the police? right but we they don't have that like a tradition right I say convention they don't sign my we don't sign that so that was Not yet. are lower that they give you yes this is your is your lawyer. The lawyer, they come and like, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

2:39:24 They just want to break you down mentally You lie on many things. Yeah. I'm like, okay. come and takes you and they give they offer you to stay there for a few days or for longer, I need some money but this is the last time. I figured out something. I needed clothes to wear. to the UK out of any country in Europe. to go to england oh difficult it's difficult even as a france resident with your resident card you still

2:44:38 all around those calling me American and I'm like yeah i am you know like my signature my signature sometime like So when you write Francis Ngannou you to germany but we were a group of people most of people the people in the group was just like France seems to have that opportunity. They jump on the, you know, this thing at the train station, how call it turnstile yes at the turnstile

2:48:13 you know it was like I don't want to stay here because this kind of thing kind of like drown your energy. But it's like just a place to sleep. There's like hundreds of beds in the big house I'm like, no. found a box a boxing gym and I found it was about four and it was exactly a boxing time and i asked You know, like when you walk to the gym, you don't have nothing.

2:53:07 talk to the main coach. I'll give you a call. which is Saturday. like yeah like you don't have like no yeah I don't have but let's go hey I didn't care You know? Oh, I was so excited. mma you know boxing business is kind of very complicated it's gonna take time you know but mma So you had never seen the UFC? I'm like, hey, man, please, leave me alone with your MMA.

2:57:37 Like, I'm telling you, you should just try. he was like, hey guys, let's go to the ball. i'm sleeping in the parking lot and he was a big guy he gave gave me clothes. He gave me my first perfume. Really good. after that during the giving us like food every Monday they come by and trying to give us whatever like some these little things that you might need like a mouthpiece

3:00:29 So I came there the same. if you have time, every Then they set up a meeting with floor so what I see from that gym he was kind of like CrossFit I didn't even know That would be a very good thing. yeah you can you're welcome man anytime that you want yeah so you start training I'm like, yes, you should try MMA. it yeah you know but and so uh by the time i was already like having a good relation with didier

3:06:32 I'm like, I don't know. month you're about to fight for the heavyweight title yeah for the second time yeah and by the So how did they get you to sign up? This guy, they were like, you can fight him. So I won my first fight. I just grabbed the guy's hand. That's crazy. This is it. so they taught you how to do this no he was he was coaching me christian that's very legit

3:09:51 That's right. Hmm. from a punch in my life. I mean, K-1 Grand Prix champion, dream champion, Strikeforce champion. the first Stipe fight, all the way through that fight, I was working with Dewey Cooper, which is my striking coach, January 20. And, you know, but it was easy because I had this fight like three months ahead. because i staying here by the time my resident card was temporary and he was just one year and

3:14:53 right away get into. Right. in my mind i don't need i don't even need to watch it to see it i know exactly what was happening You were heavier at one point in time? Oh, guess what? there was a couple times where he didn't make weight, getting to the next fight i get very lean i was i remember i went into my fight again lewis i was Again, Derek Lewis didn't even happen

3:18:26 think uh i rush basically for the first round and now i'm like i was there like damn i had You know, I kind of like calm. So I'm like, I should have calmed down. I was even surprised when the referee said, the fight after that was stipe uh excuse me the fight after that was Junior Dos Santos? No, Curtis Blades. Curtis Blades. Yeah. Yeah. of Francis Ngannou.

3:20:40 The same physique, but now I kind of put a point on my wrestling and stuff We do jujitsu, wrestling with many guys at the stream. I never really like go for the best gym. i'm like yeah this might just be some coach want a fighter you know then i can't with the time i Oh, always. I always like toughness. Just have a dude stand there and take your best shot right in the stomach.

3:24:04 Guess what? Technically, you are the one calling the shot. Now I have a team that we have built a relationship eric just came and make all this travel just in order of helping me stay in train while i'm here And, I mean, I think you're an incredible person. And, you know, I'm not going to tell you. want to do it follow my path I'm like that's not a good way to follow you know

3:28:40 You're going to build something good for the family. There it is. You know, to help get the youth, well your story is incredible francis and uh the title fight is march what's the 27th march 27th i can't wait