WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.520 --> 00:00:05.519 Well, it's my great privilege to have my first interview today on our podcast 2 00:00:05.960 --> 00:00:10.279 with the one and only the man from the UFC now big boxing star making 3 00:00:10.320 --> 00:00:14.080 his name. It's Francis Nagano, the Predator, and Francis, welcome to 4 00:00:14.119 --> 00:00:17.600 my show. I appreciate it. First of all, just how excited are 5 00:00:17.640 --> 00:00:23.160 you for what is another huge boxing match in your career from BFF bro from 6 00:00:23.199 --> 00:00:26.839 BFL, I think you're really the wrong way I see PFL. Yes, 7 00:00:26.920 --> 00:00:30.160 sir, that's that's your well yeah, that's your new that's your new MMA 8 00:00:30.239 --> 00:00:34.200 home. But people know you from your UFC days. That's true, that's 9 00:00:34.200 --> 00:00:39.439 true. Fair enough anyway, So huge fight again, another big one, 10 00:00:40.000 --> 00:00:43.560 just a few months after the last one. Yeah, another big one, 11 00:00:43.960 --> 00:00:48.920 right, So, I mean it's great to get your get in the boxing 12 00:00:49.280 --> 00:00:54.000 after all those little drama in the past. Gets here finally getting in the 13 00:00:54.000 --> 00:00:59.880 boxing that was midsport and then get to the point that you know, Outsight 14 00:01:00.039 --> 00:01:03.119 and the two best fighters in the world back to bad Will have done that 15 00:01:03.159 --> 00:01:10.079 before nobody frances and got So I'm very happy about that. I feel very 16 00:01:10.239 --> 00:01:15.319 you know, I feel that things are shifting up. I feel from the 17 00:01:15.519 --> 00:01:21.640 to be the privileged to become the privilege in life. Well, it is 18 00:01:21.680 --> 00:01:25.040 quite a remarkable story, as you said, to come into boxing and immediately 19 00:01:25.040 --> 00:01:27.799 in your first two boxing matches fight the two biggest names in the heavyweight division, 20 00:01:29.120 --> 00:01:32.640 uh and and and uh. You know, perhaps more after this, 21 00:01:32.719 --> 00:01:34.239 depending on what happens, if it's your if it's what you want to do. 22 00:01:34.280 --> 00:01:38.599 But you mentioned that was always your dream sport about boxing. What I'm 23 00:01:38.599 --> 00:01:41.400 curious about because I being honest, I don't follow a lot of MMn you 24 00:01:41.400 --> 00:01:42.840 know a little bit about you, but I've been reading up on you a 25 00:01:42.840 --> 00:01:46.760 bit, but i haven't really seen the answer to this. If it was 26 00:01:46.799 --> 00:01:51.760 your dream, what made you go into mixed martial arts instead of trying boxing 27 00:01:51.799 --> 00:01:57.799 first as a professional opportunity. I started boxing, but again I was alone. 28 00:01:57.799 --> 00:02:01.599 I started boxing. I was too too and then it took me five 29 00:02:01.719 --> 00:02:07.280 years. I was in Cameroon, UH for like another four years they didn't 30 00:02:07.280 --> 00:02:13.439 have any opportunity, and then I have to lift Cameroon to Europe. That 31 00:02:14.080 --> 00:02:17.439 took me over a year to get in Europe and then get there was looking 32 00:02:17.599 --> 00:02:23.039 an opportunity for boxing, where to box and this and then mm came around 33 00:02:23.199 --> 00:02:27.800 and was quick and easy, you know, grab and go, and I 34 00:02:27.919 --> 00:02:31.960 was doing it until some day even without me expecting I have the US had 35 00:02:31.960 --> 00:02:39.639 the USC contract. Then I couldn't let that opportunity uh go, regarding my 36 00:02:39.639 --> 00:02:45.560 my situation of the time. So I took the opportunity, but boxing was 37 00:02:45.840 --> 00:02:49.960 always in the back of my head. And then again, when comes the 38 00:02:50.039 --> 00:02:53.879 moment when it come the opportunity to take on boxing, I didn't hesitate to 39 00:02:53.960 --> 00:02:59.000 cross over and dive into that opportunity. Well, when you took that opportunity 40 00:02:59.120 --> 00:03:01.599 this past I told and got the chance to fight against the heavyweight champion, 41 00:03:01.680 --> 00:03:07.120 Tyson Fury, I mean you know this, nobody gave you a real chance 42 00:03:07.199 --> 00:03:10.360 to to win, much less really compete. I think you know among the 43 00:03:10.360 --> 00:03:14.800 public, uh certainly among a lot of the media members. Obviously you had 44 00:03:14.840 --> 00:03:19.080 a lot of belief in yourself. So I wonder what was it that coming 45 00:03:19.080 --> 00:03:22.960 into the sport as a professional gave you the confidence that you could not only 46 00:03:23.000 --> 00:03:25.319 compete, but in the eyes of a lot of people, Francis win against 47 00:03:25.319 --> 00:03:32.039 Tyson Fury. Well, my life experience was what gave me the confident because 48 00:03:32.680 --> 00:03:36.759 people are not giving me any chance. For me, it wasn't any in 49 00:03:36.840 --> 00:03:40.439 you. It was just he has always been like that, you know, 50 00:03:40.800 --> 00:03:47.639 they always write me out, uh so much that when the better on me, 51 00:03:47.879 --> 00:03:52.719 I'm concerned, you know, always been there with the duck. So 52 00:03:53.080 --> 00:03:58.159 coming into this fight, you was just already it was another another day in 53 00:03:58.199 --> 00:04:02.360 the office, you know, another story, same thing. So when you 54 00:04:03.000 --> 00:04:05.800 when you fought him, you did obviously very well. You knocked him down. 55 00:04:06.159 --> 00:04:10.560 You ultimately lost a split decision. But I mentioned so many people thought 56 00:04:10.560 --> 00:04:14.439 that you won, did you uh, even though you didn't get your hand 57 00:04:14.520 --> 00:04:17.439 raised. I just wanted to know if you did you know, did it? 58 00:04:17.639 --> 00:04:20.160 Did it? Did it? How did you feel about that? Like 59 00:04:20.240 --> 00:04:24.000 mentally emotionally that you feel like maybe you got robbed in the fight, but 60 00:04:24.040 --> 00:04:28.319 it certinly did impact your ability to make obviously a ton of fans in boxing, 61 00:04:28.600 --> 00:04:30.399 to show what you could do in the ring. Obviously to land another 62 00:04:30.480 --> 00:04:32.720 huge fight like you have. And I'll mention, uh, you know, 63 00:04:32.720 --> 00:04:36.920 obviously this fight against Anthony Joshua in Riad, Saudi Arabia on pay per view 64 00:04:38.160 --> 00:04:43.319 and PPV dot com his own pay per view, Like were you bothered by 65 00:04:43.319 --> 00:04:46.800 that or were you just sort of shook it off? Uh? You know, 66 00:04:47.240 --> 00:04:50.600 I shook it off. Life is not always fair. As soon as 67 00:04:50.600 --> 00:04:55.959 you understand that you're going to be doing great in life, you know, 68 00:04:56.439 --> 00:04:59.920 And then I knew even getting dead. That's why I wasn't even so bright. 69 00:05:01.879 --> 00:05:06.439 I knew that I was coming into this new sport. Every nobody was 70 00:05:06.480 --> 00:05:11.720 counting on me. I'm even sure that some Georges wasn't watching the fight. 71 00:05:11.920 --> 00:05:15.839 They have the scoreboards ready even before the fight started, you know, I 72 00:05:15.959 --> 00:05:19.040 or sometimes they wake up sometime in between the fight. I'm like them, 73 00:05:19.199 --> 00:05:24.120 the fight is still on and they just decide to put something on the paper. 74 00:05:24.319 --> 00:05:28.920 But there wasn't watching at all, right, So again it's the story 75 00:05:28.959 --> 00:05:33.279 of my life, always been count out. And I knew that he wasn't 76 00:05:33.319 --> 00:05:38.560 going to be easy in the term of like just stepping into a boxing and 77 00:05:38.600 --> 00:05:44.879 then just being in everybody hard and then just expecting to be treated right by 78 00:05:45.040 --> 00:05:48.120 every by everybody. So when you when you come into the fight against Tyson 79 00:05:48.199 --> 00:05:51.600 Theory, obviously it's kind of snuck up on people. I Mean, they 80 00:05:51.680 --> 00:05:56.040 knew who Francis Nana was, but I had no concept of what you might 81 00:05:56.040 --> 00:05:59.839 be able to do inside the boxing ring. Clearly, everybody saw what you 82 00:06:00.079 --> 00:06:02.199 did so, I would I would think that you're not sneaking up on Anthony 83 00:06:02.279 --> 00:06:06.439 Joshua. They they realize what you're capable of. I'm sure that they've watched 84 00:06:06.439 --> 00:06:11.319 your fight against Tyson Fury. Does that make it maybe like a little more 85 00:06:11.319 --> 00:06:15.120 difficult going into this fight. It's no longer like a stealth operation. They 86 00:06:15.160 --> 00:06:16.839 know you, they've watched you box. They only have ten rounds to look 87 00:06:16.879 --> 00:06:20.879 at, but they're gonna be more prepared, perhaps than Tyson Fury was. 88 00:06:23.199 --> 00:06:26.600 Then it's up to me to find another way to be sneaky. You know, 89 00:06:26.959 --> 00:06:29.240 if they're waiting into the left, then I'll come to the right. 90 00:06:29.279 --> 00:06:31.879 If they are waiting into the right, I'll come to the left. Listen, 91 00:06:31.920 --> 00:06:35.199 I understand that. I know because you have the experience now in both 92 00:06:35.240 --> 00:06:40.920 sports at the highest level, between boxing and mixed martial arts. I wonder 93 00:06:41.199 --> 00:06:46.199 which do you enjoy doing more. Well, First of all, you have 94 00:06:46.319 --> 00:06:53.639 to understand that boxing has always been my first dream, but it's complicated because 95 00:06:53.839 --> 00:06:57.439 MMA. I've been into MMA for what the past ten years, and I'm 96 00:06:57.560 --> 00:07:03.319 very comfortable in MM so regards less boxing is tough for me, orme is 97 00:07:03.680 --> 00:07:08.680 boxing is still tough for me. And mme in MM, I'm more confident, 98 00:07:08.800 --> 00:07:13.519 you know, I know everything in my body mechanics is they are there. 99 00:07:13.560 --> 00:07:17.920 Everything is there. Not that it's easier, but it's less complicated. 100 00:07:18.000 --> 00:07:23.360 It's less stressful, even on my body. That might sound crazy, or 101 00:07:23.399 --> 00:07:29.639 it's more that on your knee and everything, but it's so physically easy for 102 00:07:29.759 --> 00:07:36.439 me than than boxing because my body mechanics is adjusting to the boxing. When 103 00:07:36.480 --> 00:07:41.800 you fought against Tyson Theory, I wonder you know, do you think it 104 00:07:41.839 --> 00:07:46.120 was it was more because you are a lot better than maybe many people thought 105 00:07:46.160 --> 00:07:49.720 you might be, or it was part of it because maybe he didn't take 106 00:07:49.759 --> 00:07:54.879 you seriously because he wasn't as prepared as he should have been a professional athlete. 107 00:07:56.439 --> 00:08:01.399 Well, I think he must have in prepare. But first of all, 108 00:08:01.839 --> 00:08:09.959 the most important element was that people I was better than what people expected. 109 00:08:11.160 --> 00:08:15.800 First of all, people many people wasn't even expecting anything. Who was 110 00:08:16.839 --> 00:08:20.079 hilarious for a guy that is even though I never did a boxing was a 111 00:08:20.120 --> 00:08:28.160 compassport added a compassport champion in another combats sport, right, So I think 112 00:08:30.199 --> 00:08:33.279 that was the thing, because honestly, I don't think that was a great 113 00:08:33.360 --> 00:08:37.159 performance. I don't think that was awesome performance, But I think he was 114 00:08:37.279 --> 00:08:41.080 just enough to surprise people and they were like, wow, you know, 115 00:08:41.399 --> 00:08:45.679 but I believe that I can do better than that. I can do way 116 00:08:45.720 --> 00:08:48.440 better than that. Right, you were the greatest performance that you can find 117 00:08:48.440 --> 00:08:52.000 in boxing, but you were just like, Well, for a guy that 118 00:08:52.279 --> 00:08:56.559 wasn't expecting anything from him, that's great. What are you expecting from Joshua? 119 00:08:56.679 --> 00:09:00.279 I mean, he's obviously a much different type of opponent, different type 120 00:09:00.279 --> 00:09:03.000 of style fighter, not as tall as Tyson Fury. Like I said, 121 00:09:03.200 --> 00:09:05.799 you're not sneaking up on anybody this time. So what are you expecting from 122 00:09:07.039 --> 00:09:13.039 the former heavyweight champion? Well, expecting him to come, prepare and come 123 00:09:13.080 --> 00:09:16.039 to the four war, because yes, he have seen me already, and 124 00:09:16.080 --> 00:09:20.639 then he knows that he has a lot. There's a lot under line here. 125 00:09:20.120 --> 00:09:24.480 There's a lot for him to lose here, So it's gonna come with 126 00:09:24.559 --> 00:09:30.559 everything that he has. One thing I'm very interested in is you're obviously making 127 00:09:30.600 --> 00:09:33.120 a huge amount of money in this fight. You made a huge amount of 128 00:09:33.120 --> 00:09:37.799 money in the fight against Tyson Fury, as as I've heard you say in 129 00:09:37.799 --> 00:09:39.720 interviews, you know you got the bag. You know, after a lot 130 00:09:39.720 --> 00:09:43.000 of time in a in a MMA where you didn't make the kind of huge 131 00:09:43.039 --> 00:09:46.120 money I said, I fumbled the back. I fumbled the back. Well 132 00:09:46.159 --> 00:09:52.159 you didn't you that's not what you said. That's what other suns somebody else 133 00:09:52.200 --> 00:09:54.600 said that you bumbled the bag. Uh. But I just wonder, you 134 00:09:54.639 --> 00:09:58.159 know, how how just amazing is it to you that you could have such 135 00:09:58.159 --> 00:10:01.480 a storied career in mm A. Uh, you know, make money, 136 00:10:01.519 --> 00:10:05.200 but come into boxing in your two fights, from what I understand, anyway, 137 00:10:05.600 --> 00:10:11.879 eclipse your entire career earnings in mm A in one fight, much less 138 00:10:11.919 --> 00:10:16.960 the second fights you're gonna have. Well, I think we don't. I 139 00:10:18.000 --> 00:10:22.320 would not use this to like bash what mm have given to me, you 140 00:10:22.360 --> 00:10:26.399 know, the opportunity, because the reason why we're here is because of my 141 00:10:26.559 --> 00:10:30.879 MMA career. And then there's also a lot of boxing fighters that they're not 142 00:10:30.960 --> 00:10:37.679 even making what I was making in MMA, and also not because I have 143 00:10:37.879 --> 00:10:45.200 a we have some situation in mm which mean about that was the standard, 144 00:10:45.279 --> 00:10:48.399 right, that's not the standard. If I would to fight in the p 145 00:10:48.639 --> 00:10:52.919 F after if I would have fight uh in the in mm after my last 146 00:10:52.919 --> 00:11:01.240 fight, that was the moment that I was basically manifesting if I would have 147 00:11:01.240 --> 00:11:03.480 to fight in MMA, I would have still make a lot of money, 148 00:11:03.840 --> 00:11:07.039 right, because even from my last fight, I turned down a lot of 149 00:11:07.080 --> 00:11:11.919 money. The money that I have never made, I turned down because I 150 00:11:11.960 --> 00:11:15.960 was standing by something. I had some principle that I didn't want to break 151 00:11:16.000 --> 00:11:20.600 it up. Right. So the fact that I didn't have the money is 152 00:11:20.639 --> 00:11:26.000 not because the money wasn't there or because the money wasn't offered, is because 153 00:11:26.080 --> 00:11:30.000 I swish and then I get to that specific point and it was a moment 154 00:11:30.039 --> 00:11:33.399 that I stepped into boxing. But again, if I were to fight in 155 00:11:33.639 --> 00:11:37.240 MM, in any MMA organization, I would have made it make a lot 156 00:11:37.240 --> 00:11:39.799 of money as well. All right, So let me then wrap up with 157 00:11:39.840 --> 00:11:43.360 this. You mentioned my MMA. Last question for you, it's been announced 158 00:11:43.360 --> 00:11:46.840 by PFL that after this fight against Anthony Joshua in a boxing match, that 159 00:11:48.159 --> 00:11:50.840 you're supposed to return to have your first ever PFL fight against the winner of 160 00:11:50.879 --> 00:11:56.759 their big show that they just recently had in Saudi Arabia against I forget the 161 00:11:56.759 --> 00:12:03.440 guy's name who won the ren and Ferrera right, who who won that that 162 00:12:03.480 --> 00:12:07.879 big match of the d So is that your plan to go back and do 163 00:12:07.960 --> 00:12:11.240 that PFL fight next, and do you plan like I think of Claressa Shields 164 00:12:11.240 --> 00:12:15.639 and boxing. She's also was on that card with the PFL, and she's 165 00:12:15.639 --> 00:12:18.759 been shuttling back and forth between the two sports. Is that your intention to 166 00:12:20.000 --> 00:12:24.559 have this fight with aj, go do that fight in PFL, maybe another 167 00:12:24.559 --> 00:12:28.120 one whatever, and then eventually come back in boxing again and basically make two 168 00:12:28.480 --> 00:12:35.559 two sports as a combat star does a As far as fighting in the MMA, 169 00:12:35.960 --> 00:12:39.559 yes, that's my uh, that's my uh, my goal to combine 170 00:12:39.639 --> 00:12:43.559 a little bit, because I think I still have to I still have a 171 00:12:43.720 --> 00:12:48.960 few fighting MMA, but after this one. The understatement from fighting ren and 172 00:12:50.039 --> 00:12:56.480 Ferrera after this fight is a potential option because he depends how this fight goes. 173 00:12:56.120 --> 00:13:01.720 Because this fight is my lead into it on this better fight wish I 174 00:13:01.799 --> 00:13:05.960 think will be back to back. I will not let this after this fight. 175 00:13:07.080 --> 00:13:09.879 Will if I win this fight, I'm going to fight for that on 176 00:13:09.919 --> 00:13:13.879 disbut I will not step out and go fight and b babb had it me 177 00:13:13.039 --> 00:13:16.440 some jury or something before go fight it on Steers. I think I'll go 178 00:13:16.600 --> 00:13:20.879 straight to fight on Steer. So I'll tell you what, if you can 179 00:13:20.919 --> 00:13:22.559 go back and forth and get those big megga fights. It's a beautiful thing 180 00:13:22.600 --> 00:13:26.720 to have options, and you obviously are a man that has options. Francis, 181 00:13:28.000 --> 00:13:30.039 thank you so much for your time today. I appreciate it. I 182 00:13:30.120 --> 00:13:31.279 wish your best of luck. Let me tell you've made a big splash in 183 00:13:31.360 --> 00:13:37.000 boxing, and having not known your story and followed what's occurred, I can't 184 00:13:37.000 --> 00:13:39.399 help but be a fan. And I'm not just trying to kiss beer in 185 00:13:39.480 --> 00:13:43.120 here. Thank you. I appreciate you, brother, Thank you so much. 186 00:13:43.120 --> 00:13:43.360 Fis good luck for you.