Batie, Cameroon, erupted when its hometown hero Francis Ngannou knocked out Stipe Miocic at UFC 260 to become the new UFC heavyweight champion of the world.
Ngannou, 34, grew up in Batie and worked in the town’s sand mines at 12 before moving to France and finding MMA in Paris. He later moved to Las Vegas and took residence at the famed Xtreme Couture gym. By knocking out Miocic, he became the third African-born UFC champion on the roster along with Kamaru Usman and Israel Adesanya.
The devastating knockout came at 5:15 a.m. in the morning in Batie. But throngs of people who showed up were wide awake as Ngannou sent Miocic to the canvas 52 seconds into the second round in Las Vegas. Miocic had beaten Ngannou by decision in their first meeting at UFC 220 in January 2018.
Afterward, Ngannou dedicated his win to his countrymen and those who helped him complete one of the most spectacular journey in MMA today.
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