5 current UFC fighters who have an inspiring rags-to-riches story

#2. Conor McGregor (UFC lightweight)

UFC superstar Conor McGregor's rags-to-riches tale is one of the most remarkable stories in the sport of mixed martial arts. From working as a plumber and collecting welfare cheques in Dublin to scoring the number one spot on Forbes magazine's list of highest paid athletes of 2021, the Irishman has come a long way.

Growing up on the streets of Crumlin, 'The Notorious' took up boxing at the age of 12. A few years later, McGregor shifted his focus to the then lesser-known sport of mixed martial arts. At 18, 'Mystic Mac' also picked up a plumbing apprenticeship but later gave it up to focus on his combat sports career.

After stacking up 12 wins in 14 fights, the Irishman was called up by the UFC. This started an era defined by McGregor's flashy knockouts in the octagon and his unforgettable promos outside of it. After running through the featherweight division, 'The Notorious' came face-to-face with Jose Aldo at UFC 194. 'Mystic Mac' came through on his prediction by knocking out the Brazilian fighter in 13 seconds of the opening round.

Since then, his epic rivalry with Nate Diaz, the historic victory over Eddie Alvarez and the boxing spectacle with Floyd Mayweather have all helped take the Irishman's legacy up a notch.

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#1. Francis Ngannou (UFC heavyweight)

There are hardly any UFC fighters who have had a tougher road to get into the UFC than Francis Ngannou. Born in a small village in Cameroon, 'The Predator' had to start work in a sand mine at the age of just 10 to support his family.

The Cameroonian fighter's time in school was also unpleasant as he struggled to acquire basic things like pens, notebooks, uniform, socks and shoes.

At the age of 17, Ngannou decided to leave Cameroon for better prospects. What followed was a nightmare of a journey that involved living in bushes, eating out of trash cans, sleeping in the streets and fighting off rats to secure leftover food.

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 by then but a dream and a faith of pursuing it.Some people will always (1/3) pic.twitter.com/ogfyDT5ZNw

— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) June 11, 2020

After spending years crossing borders illegally and even serving jail time, Ngannou finally arrived in France. There he found Didier Carmont, who helped him get into mixed martial arts.

Starting his professional MMA career in 2013, it took the 34-year-old more than seven years to capture UFC gold. He defeated Stipe Miocic at UFC 260 to win the heavyweight title and become the new 'Baddest Man on the Planet'.