Francis Ngannou
I Didn’t Know If I’d Ever Fight Again
… After My Son Kobe Died
TMZSports.com
Francis Ngannou returned to the cage last weekend — 6 months after tragedy struck his family — and the combat sports superstar admits he was unsure whether he’d ever fight again.
TMZ Sports talked to the 38-year-old former UFC champion turned boxer/PFL fighter just days after he dispatched Renan Ferreira via a first-round knockout in Saudi Arabia … and then broke down in tears after the bout while talking about the devastating loss of his little boy, Kobe.
“Oh, yes [I didn’t know if I’d fight again]. There was a point that you didn’t know anything. Everything seemed so fragile,” Francis told us, adding his mind was racing a mile a minute during that horrific time.
“You didn’t know if it’s like some sort of genetic pandemic, genetic disease. You didn’t know if it was like a curse. If it was just bad luck that’s going to keep happening. There was a point that, you know, like a lot of stuff happened in your head, stuff that you don’t usually think about.”
Ngannou made the fight look easy … but mentally and emotionally, says it was “by far the toughest” of his career.
Ultimately, when deciding when to step back in the cage, Francis came to the conclusion that the pain would never go away … so there was nothing to wait out.
“I didn’t feel like there would be a time that it’s going to go away, where it’s going to be okay. It’s one of those things that you just realize at the beginning that you better learn how to roll with it because it will always be there.”
Check out the full interview with Francis … we talk about what’s next, including the possibility of fighting Jon Jones, Tyson Fury, and Deontay Wilder!
FAQs
Q: How long was Francis Ngannou away from fighting before his return?
A: Francis Ngannou returned to the cage last weekend after 6 months.
Q: Who did Francis Ngannou defeat in his comeback fight?
A: Francis Ngannou defeated Renan Ferreira via a first-round knockout in Saudi Arabia.
Q: What did Francis Ngannou struggle with emotionally during his time away from fighting?
A: Francis Ngannou struggled with doubts about whether he would ever fight again, especially after the tragic loss of his son, Kobe.
Q: What did Francis Ngannou realize about the pain he was feeling?
A: Francis Ngannou realized that the pain would never completely go away, leading him to decide to return to fighting without waiting for it to subside.
Credit: yogossip.com
