A former UFC heavyweight champion has gone viral, but this time not for their fighting prowess. Instead, they’ve made headlines after accidentally shattering a glass door at a Las Vegas convenience store.
Known as one of the most formidable heavyweights in the MMA world, Francis Ngannou has a track record of not just defeating but decimating many of the UFC’s top fighters with his striking power.
Back in the day, when Ngannou and UFC CEO Dana White were on better terms, White had some wild ways of promoting him. “Francis has the world record for the most powerful punch,” White once exclaimed. “His punches are equivalent to 96 horsepower. That’s equal to getting hit by a Ford Escort going as fast as it can. And it’s more powerful than a 12-pound sledgehammer from full force overhead. Holy s***.”
But it seems even everyday tasks, like opening a convenience store door, can be a challenge for someone with Ngannou’s strength.
According to this reddit user, Francis Ngannou broke his dad's shop doors over the weekend… pic.twitter.com/vOO67E38o5
— Oscar Willis (@oscarswillis) October 10, 2023
We’ve all been there: mistaking a pull door for a push one. Usually, a “Pull Only” sign saves the day and our dignity. But for Ngannou, there was no such sign.
Security footage showed Ngannou casually approaching the store’s entrance and attempting to push the door open with one hand. When that doesn’t work, he gives it the two-hand treatment, and that’s when the glass doors give way, leaving Ngannou staring in disbelief.
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Quickly realizing his mistake, Ngannou pulls the door open and strolls into the store. The store owner, however, is far from pleased. He storms out, pointing at the shattered glass and giving Ngannou a piece of his mind.
It’s not every day someone stands up to Ngannou, but this store owner wasn’t about to let his door go down without a fight. But after Ngannou agreed to cover the damages, the mood lightened, and the two even posed for a photo in front of the now-shattered door.
Francis Ngannou accidentally broke a shop door this past weekend after he attempted to push a pull door. The owner was originally angry at the former UFC heavyweight champion before posing for a photo with him after Ngannou covered the costs for a new door. What a story. 🤣😁 pic.twitter.com/nIrxj1mFgl
— MMA Orbit (@mma_orbit) October 10, 2023
But it seems that this incident may be too good to be true, as some Reddit users are speculating that it could all just be a staged marketing stunt. The “security footage” was shared by a fresh Reddit account that posted to a range of MMA-related subreddits.
Comments range from “This screams promotional video. Even has that grainy loop effect. Funny, but feels like fake news,” to “What’s the angle here? Promoting the Fury fight or the store?”
Real or staged, the video has certainly stirred up conversation just in time for Ngannou’s upcoming bout with Tyson Fury in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on October 28.