As a child growing up in Baite, in West Cameroon, Francis Ngannou dreamed of becoming a boxer and not much else.
A fan of Mike Tyson, the star boxer who amassed fame and fortune as one of the twentieth century's definitive heavyweights, his aspirations were an escape to another world.
But as he readies his return to the world of mixed martial arts, the 38-year-old is preparing to leave behind his first love for his ultimate success story once again.
When he first arrived in France - via a two-month stint in a detention centre after he had crossed the border illegally - Ngannou's aspirations were to become a professional boxer.
But an introduction to countryman Fernand Lopez and the MMA Factory turned his path in a different direction, ultimately culminating in the summit of another sport entirely.
Ahead of his comeback this month at PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants against Renan Ferreira, Ngannou admits he had little idea about the discipline when he began.
"I had no idea what MMA was," he said in a DAZN documentary. "I thought it was a bit weird. There’s boxing, there’s wrestling, there’s grappling.
"What is grappling? They have to enlighten me. There’s takedowns. What’s a takedown? They explain, I think to myself “Oh my goodness!”."
Nevertheless, work with Lopez took Ngannou's gifts - his raw power, his hulking physique, his laser-guided ferocity - and slowly started to mould a credible fighter out of him.
He impressed domestically on his 2013 debut, before a 2015 move to UFC paved the way for further success, with a Knockout of the Year triumph in 2017 over Alistair Overeem.
But back-to-back losses, against Stipe Miocic and Derrick Lewis in 2018, came amid mounting pressure, with Ngannou coming to a realisation in the wake of the latter defeat.
"At first, I was just doing it for fun," he explained. "Then, it got really serious. After the fight against Derrick Lewis, I thought to myself I don’t care what other people think.
"The pressure, the expectations, that’s no longer my problem. I will do my thing. If it goes, it goes. If it breaks, it breaks. You can’t control these things."
The response was ruthless - three subsequent Performance of the Night awards, before a rematch with Miocic in 2021 saw him finally claim the UFC Heavyweight Championship.
But that was not the only thing that drove Ngannou on from his tough beginnings in Baite, with his success a way to prove that he had risen from his roots.
"For me, to become world champion was a way to slap life with the back of my hand," he concurs. "I got here, despite everything. What’s next? Do I stop here? No. Absolutely not."
That led to his exit from the UFC, his blockbuster deal with the PFL and - at last - the realisation of his boxing dream, in major bouts with Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.
Now, against Ferreira, he finally returns to the MMA fold - but whatever happens next in Saudi Arabia, it seems certain that Ngannou will have plenty more to offer.
Watch Ngannou vs. Ferreira on DAZN
Watch Francis Ngannou's return to the cage as he faces Renan Ferreira in the PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants this Saturday on DAZN Pay-Per-View.
The card also features Cris Cyborg against Larissa Pacheco for the women's featherweight world title.
The PPV is priced at £19.99 for UK viewers to watch on any device, including Smart TV's, game consoles, phones, tablets and PC's.
To purchase and find the prices in your region click here.
Purchasing the PPV includes a seven-day free trial of all of DAZN's programming across a range of sports.
More PFL
- Ngannou ready for PFL debut after years away from MMA
- Bellator middleweight world title rematch added to 'Battle of the Giants'
- PFL alternative viewing experience for Battle of the Giants with DAZN
- Jake Paul talks Jon Jones fighting the winner of Ngannou vs. Ferreira
- PFL announces launch of PFL Africa