Francis Ngannou has admitted running from border control ranks among the scariest moments of his life ahead of his blockbuster showdown with Anthony Joshua.
Ngannou and Joshua will meet in Saudi Arabia on March 8, with millions from all over the world poised to tune in to watch the action unfold.
The French-Cameroonian star previously made his name in MMA but opted to leave UFC behind for boxing last year.
He impressed in his first boxing match against Tyson Fury in October, pushing the Gypsy King all the way before narrowly losing via split decision.
Francis Ngannou has shed light on his younger years ahead of his blockbuster boxing bout with Anthony Joshua
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And Ngannou has now opened up on his past as the seismic showdown in the Middle East creeps closer.
The 37-year-old previously worked in the sand mines from the age of 10, earning just £1.50 a day for all his hard work.
Ngannou then opted to leave Africa for France at the age of 26, a journey he overtook over the course of a year.
Speaking to The Sun, the boxing star admits it was 'tough' leaving his homeland in search of a better life.
"It was always tough," he said.
"That was a 14-month journey and what I do remember is that every step was tough.
"You get from the first step, you think that you have seen it all and then the next step you have the same feeling, over and over."
Ngannou went from Cameroon to Nigeria but experienced issues when he got to Niger, west Africa.
He needed a visa and crammed himself into a pick-up truck, along with 25 people, as they crossed the Sahara desert in order to get to Algeria.
Ngannou was then able to obtain an illegal passport, which enabled him to get into Mali, and he went through Morocco before going on to Spain.
Spanish authorities caught Ngannou crossing the border. However, due to his passport being false, he was unable to be deported to kept in prison.
He was able to get to France via train and would go on to establish himself as a phenomenal athlete.
"The one thing that I do know for sure, there was not even a plan of going back or giving up. It was for me, my pride that was on the line," he said.
"And I don't know, I watch a movie that I love so much and it says, 'Better die for something than live for nothing.'"
And Ngannou, when asked about the scariest moment of his life, admitted running from border control was up there.
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Francis Ngannou impressed during his boxing match with Tyson Fury back in October
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"Scariest moment? There was a lot of them. Stand out? I dunno," he said.
"Maybe when the inflatable boat was being put out into the ocean without knowing how to swim.
"Maybe when I was running from border control. Maybe when you stand against a giant institution like the UFC. There's a lot of moments."
Fast-forward to now and Ngannou has made the most of his new life, with the boxing star eyeing success for his showdown with Joshua.
He was also asked about a potential film on his life being released one day.
Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou will fight on March 8 with millions from all over the world set to tune in
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If that was to happen, the boxing star would love Idris Elba to play him.
"I always thought about one person in mind, it was actually Idris Elba," he added.
And Ngannou is positive he can make waves in boxing, despite being somewhat late to the party.
"I don't think anything is guaranteed in life but I think everything is possible, so yes, I did think this could happen," he admitted.
"Otherwise, I wouldn't leave my career in the UFC as a champion to take this route if I wasn't certain it was going to happen."
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