Former UFC champion Francis Ngannou finds himself in heavy mourning.
Ngannou confirmed that he and his family are reeling following the death of Kobe, their 15-month-old son.
“Too soon to leave but yet he’s gone,” Ngannou wrote. “My little boy, my mate, my partner Kobe was full of life and joy. Now, he’s laying without life.
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“I shouted his name over and over but he’s not responding. I was my best self next to him and now I have no clue of who I am.
“Life is so unfair to hit us where it hurts the most. How do you deal with such a thing? How can you live with it? Please help me if you have an idea because I really don’t know what to do and how to deal with this.”
The 37-year-old remains in his native country of Cameroon with his family.
As one would expect, there has been a large outpouring of support from the combat sports community for Ngannou. That includes both MMA and boxing, as he has recently taken to the ring to compete.
Francis Ngannou, Family Reeling From Loss Of Child
His last MMA fight came in 2022 with a successful title defense over Ciryl Gane. That win moved Ngannou to 17-3 overall, having won his last five in a row.
With his contract expiring, Ngannou became a free agent. He would sign with the PFL, which allows him to also box.
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Last October, he pushed heavyweight champion Tyson Fury to the distance, dropping a split decision. In March, he suffered a knockout loss to former titleholder Anthony Joshua.
PFL officials have stated he will make his debut for them later this year. However, that planned bout vs. Renan Ferreira could be delayed due to the family emergency.
Ngannou has also been tasked with helping build PFL Africa, further expanding the reach of the promotion.
