WATCH: Francis Ngannou's hometown erupts in celebration after insane UFC 260 knockout win

UFC 260: Miocic v Ngannou 2
UFC 260: Miocic v Ngannou 2

Francis Ngannou became the new UFC heavyweight champion after landing a powerful punch on Stipe Miocic in their title fight at UFC 260.

'The Predator' is famous for his rag to riches story, going from a worker in sand mines in Cameroon to achieving UFC stardom in a few years.

Francis Ngannou signed his contract with the UFC two years after being arrested by Spanish police for illegally crossing the border from Africa to Europe in a boat in 2013.

It is understandable that someone with this trajectory would motivate fans in Batié, Ngannou's hometown in Cameroon, to stay awake until 5 am only to watch one of its sons being crowned a UFC champion.

The video shows the exact moment the crowd of people, overwhelmed by Francis Ngannou's victory, erupts in joy.

Although the celebration will make any sports fan feel rejoyced, some people raised concerns regarding COVID-19 restrictions and social isolation.

Cameroon is the 13th African country with the most coronavirus cases, reaching nearly 50,000 people infected and 1,000 deaths.

Nevertheless, Africa is the least affected continent by the pandemic. Only South Africa, where one of the new variants emerged, has crossed the one million infection milestone.

Experts point out that the continent has experience dealing with several virus outbreaks and, consequently, an efficient health system to resist this pandemic.

Francis Ngannou becomes the third African born UFC champion

UFC 260 Miocic v Ngannou 2: Weigh-Ins
UFC 260 Miocic v Ngannou 2: Weigh-Ins

After winning Stipe Miocic's heavyweight belt, Francis Ngannou joined Nigerian-born Kamaru Usman and Israel Adesanya in becoming African champions. Both Usman and Adesanya became welterweight and middleweight champions, respectively, in 2019.

While Usman naturalized American after moving as a child to the United States, Adesanya had the same process but on the other side of the world, in New Zealand.

The three African MMA champions maintain a good relationship outside of the UFC. Usman served as a cornerman to Francis Ngannou in his title fight at UFC 260.

Adesanya shared a video of his family celebrating 'The Predator' becoming the heavyweight champion right after the bout against Miocic.

Quick Links

Edited by Alex Turk