JULIAN KIEWIETZ julian.kiewietz@inl.co.za SIMON Biyong’s journey to Europe may not be as extreme as Francis Ngannou’s, but it still makes for an interesting story nonetheless.
While Cameroon’s first and only UFC heavyweight champion, Ngannou faced treacherous conditions, landscapes and circumstances as he navigated and hitch-hiked from Batie, Cameroon, to France in search of a better life, his countryman and Bellator light heavyweight up-and-comer, Biyong, made the move to Italy to pursue a career in art.
“Due to the lack of opportunities within Cameroon at the time, I searched the internet and found a school in Italy where I could pursue my passion for drawing, painting, and working with ceramics,” says Biyong.
“In order to get my visa, I had to learn Level-C of the Italian language, you know, enough to…