Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou secured the bag last week after it was announced that he would be making his professional boxing debut against Tyson Fury in a 10-round fight taking place Oct. 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It's pure vindication for the new PFL signing as he not only bet on himself, but will now be making more money in one night than he did over the course of his 14-fight career with the UFC.

All that said, “The Predator” still remains grateful for his time in the UFC as it was during this 14-fight spell where he not only became the best heavyweight in the world, but also put himself in a position to challenge Fury in a boxing match. So with that said, here's a look at five of Francis Ngannou's biggest moments in the UFC.

5. Second win over Curtis Blaydes

Ngannou's rematch with Curtis Blaydes in Nov. 2018 was a big moment as it reaffirmed his place in the UFC's heavyweight division. Having not only lost to Stipe Miocic in his first attempt at becoming heavyweight champion, but to Derrick Lewis soon after, it appeared as if the French-Cameroonian's confidence had vanished as he was now on a two-fight losing streak.

Paired up against the rising Blaydes, it appeared the script was set for the American to win the rematch and go on to challenge for the title. However, Ngannou and his right hand had other plans as a brutal strike dropped Blaydes early before his follow-up shots ensured a quick 45-second TKO victory in the first round. Francis Ngannou was officially back and he wasn't losing again.

4. Title defense against Ciryl Gane

This was Ngannou's last fight in the UFC, but it was a true testament to his championship mentality. Facing his former teammate in the undefeated Ciryl Gane at UFC 270, it appeared as if the latter would come out on top given his fight IQ and the oddsmakers certainly felt that way.

Gane was even up two rounds and just needed one more round to become the new champion provided the fight went the distance. The fight did go the distance, but it was Ngannou who came out on top as he not only used his wrestling and grappling to take Gane down the remaining three rounds, but he also looked much better cardio-wise too.

Most impressively of all, he did it with a torn ACL and MCL suffered a month prior to the fight. They say the mark of a true champion is one who has defended his belt. Ngannou can certainly say he did that in more impressive fashion that most given the circumstance.s

3. Devastating uppercut knockout of Alistair Overeem

This was the fight that really got Ngannou the world's attention. In Dec. 2017, he was booked to face Alistair Overeem, a legendary fighter with a wealth of experience and a vast number of accolades albeit a suspect chin. Ngannou was an overwhelming favorite, but there were some who felt Overeem would provide a stern test for him and potentially expose him.

That didn't turn out to be the case at all as Overeem was on the receiving end of one of the most viral and vicious knockouts of all time — courtesy of a first-round Ngannou uppercut. This win thrust Ngannou into the mainstream limelight while marking himself as a true force to be reckoned with in the heavyweight division.

2. Getting humbled by Stipe Miocic

While this might seem like an odd moment to include, it still remains a big moment in Ngannou's journey. Fresh off his scary knockout win over Overeem, there was no choice but to give Ngannou his first title shot against Stipe Miocic at UFC 220 in Jan. 2020. Everyone counted Miocic out. The UFC was behind Ngannou. It seemed all but destined that we'd have a new champion.

Instead, Miocic exposed a reckless Ngannou's grappling deficiencies as well as his cardio issues. By the second round, Ngannou — who hadn't gone past a first round in the UFC — was severely gassed as he would go on to suffer an extremely humbling and lopsided unanimous decision defeat. His stock went down dramatically as he suffered his first defeat in the UFC in the process too.

That said, the setback also served as a crucial learning experience. It marked a turning point, fueling Ngannou's desire to evolve as a fighter and eventually get redemption.

1. Beating Stipe Miocic to become heavyweight champion

After some setbacks in 2020, Ngannou eventually turned things around and a four-fight winning streak saw him receive a second shot at Miocic at UFC 260 in March 2021. This time, Ngannou was prepared. He had worked on his skillset and addressed the gaps in his game.

That was clearly evident as he showed a more patient and composed approach, stuffed a big takedown from Miocic and proceed to land heavy ground and pound in the first round. He needed less than a minute in the second round to knock Miocic down before putting him out cold to become the new heavyweight champion of the world.

Redemption was earned, and after a long journey, Francis Ngannou had finally reached the pinnacle of the sport. Little did he know just over two years later, he'd be taking part in a much bigger and more lucrative fight.