"He might be the hardest hitter on earth" - Joe Rogan believes Francis Ngannou could've reached Deontay Wilder level success had he gone into boxing

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Francis Ngannou (left), Joe Rogan (center), and Deontay Wilder (right). [Images courtesy: Getty Images]
Francis Ngannou (left), Joe Rogan (center), and Deontay Wilder (right) [Images courtesy: Getty Images]

Joe Rogan recently commented on Francis Ngannou's potential had he been a boxer.

Ngannou has quite literally rocked the heavyweight division, knocking out 10 of his 14 opponents in the UFC en route to the title. He won the heavyweight championship in his second title shot in typical fashion, knocking out Stipe Miocic in the second round of the UFC 260 main event.

Rogan spoke to Tom Segura on the 2 Bears, 1 Cave podcast and praised Ngannou's monstrous physicality:

"Francis Ngannou, the UFC heavyweight champion. He's a super athlete. When he was a child, he had to work in the sand mines. It's crazy, he's such a f**king freak athlete. He's 270 [pounds] natural. And hits harder than anybody. He holds the record for the hardest punch ever on this machine. He might be the hardest hitter on earth."

Check out Francis Ngannou's record-breaking punch documented on YouTube:

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Rogan then went on to state how well 'The Predator' would have done had he been a professional boxer:

"If you think about guys like Deontay Wilder, who's arguably the greatest heavyweight knockout artist ever, Deontay Wilder at one point of time, I think his record was roughly about 39-0 with I think, 38 knockouts. So if a guy like that exists, then a guy like Francis just went right into boxing, no MMA ever. Doesn't have to learn how to kick, just has to learn head movement, learn how to put punches on people. 270 natural! Insane power!"

Watch Rogan's full comments on YMH Studios' YouTube channel below:

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Joe Rogan was awe-inspired by Francis Ngannou after his JRE appearance

It is not just Francis Ngannou's physical capabilities that have impressed Joe Rogan. The UFC color commentator hosted Ngannou on The Joe Rogan Experience a month before his big title rematch against Stipe Miocic at UFC 260.

The then-No.1 heavyweight contender recounted his struggles working in the sand mines of Cameroon and his journey to the pinnacle of mixed martial arts. He spoke about his life as a child and undertaking labor meant for adults to finance his basic needs.

Rogan took to Instagram to describe the conversation they had and the inspiration he derived from it:

"This podcast I did with @francisngannou was one of the most moving and impactful conversations I’ve ever had. He details his insane 14 month journey from Cameroon to Europe, and it is just f**king incredible.The struggle this man describes is just mind blowing."

Francis Ngannou's past perhaps reflects in his physical and mental conditioning as he sits atop the heavyweight division as the most dangerous big man in all of combat sports.

Check out Joe Rogan's Instagram post on Ngannou below:

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