For Francis Ngannou, it's hard to bounce back and it will not be easy to forget how the family tragedy tested his sanity whenever he's inside the ring.
The combat sports athlete wanted to enter the fight soon, but there was little certainty about his immediate future if he could ever fight again six months after his son's death. This former UFC champion is now a boxer and PFL fighter, having recently opened up for the first time about the emotional turmoil that nearly made him quit the sport forever.
Personal Loss Overturned
The former UFC champion is now a boxer and PFL fighter, having recently opened up for the first time about the emotional turmoil that nearly made him quit the sport forever. According to TMZ, Ngannou came back from a knockout loss in his comeback fight, winning with a knockout over Renan Ferreira in only one round in Saudi Arabia.
The triumphant return was highly emotional as he broke into tears after the match. He was remembering his young son, Kobe, whom he lost.
TMZ Sports has revealed how much the 38-year-old fighter was uncertain about returning to the cage after such a devastating loss.
"There was a point that you didn't know anything. Everything seemed so fragile," Ngannou revealed. He remained overwhelmed in his mind, constantly asking during the dark period whether disaster awaited him.
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Mental Emotional Battle
Ngannou said it was the biggest challenge of his career, but the mental and emotional weight meant he made the fight look easy. He wondered if perhaps a curse or bad luck made something so tragic befall his family.
"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," he said, recalling the psychological turmoil.
Finding Strength to Move Forward
Ngannou realized later that the ache of losing his son was never going to stop him from being healed. And instead of waiting for the emotional wounds to heal, he stepped back to the sport, understanding all along that part of grief will always be there for him.
"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."
According to MMA Fighting, Ngannou's bout with Jon Jones will not likely happen, as PFL Chairman Donn Davis says. However, it's still possible if the conditions are met.
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