Morning Report: Francis Ngannou admits he was unsure if he would ever fight again after tragic death of his son

Francis Ngannou was on the brink of not returning to fighting.

This past weekend, Ngannou finally made his comeback to MMA, facing Renan Ferreira in the headline bout of PFL Superfights: Battle of the Giants. However, Ngannou’s return was uncertain. Earlier this year, “The Predator” experienced a heartbreaking tragedy when his 15-month-old son Kobe passed away due to a medical condition. Speaking with TMZ Sports, the reigning heavyweight champion confessed that after the incident, he doubted whether he would ever step into the cage again.

“Yes, there was a time when I was completely lost,” Ngannou revealed when asked if he considered retiring after his son’s death. “Everything felt so fragile. You start to question if it could happen to you too, if it’s a genetic epidemic, genetic illness, I don’t know, a curse. You start thinking about things you never usually think about.”

Despite the doubts, Ngannou ultimately chose to continue fighting and returned in impressive fashion, securing a victory over Ferreira with strikes in the first round. However, Ngannou admitted that the road to his comeback was anything but easy.

“It was undoubtedly the most challenging [training camp of my life],” Ngannou admitted. “When the thought of retirement crossed my mind, it wasn’t an option because retiring would mean burdening my son once again, which is not his burden to bear. I thought maybe I should take some time before returning to fighting, but I didn’t know when that time would come. I didn’t know when things would be okay. It’s one of those things where you realize early on that you have to learn to cope because it will always be there.”

“It was a way for me not only to have something to focus on but also to honor him, as I didn’t have the opportunity to fight for him,” Ngannou added.

The victory marked Ngannou’s debut in the PFL after spending the previous year and a half exploring boxing. Despite his recent struggles, Ngannou remains uncertain about his future endeavors in either boxing or MMA.

“I haven’t really thought about what comes next,” Ngannou confessed. “I have no concrete plans. I will take some time to rest because I felt that I took this fight too soon. There were too many emotions, I was in a different headspace.”

“I’ll take a break, assess the options available, and if something worthwhile comes up, I’ll consider it,” Ngannou concluded.

Promotion. Dana White revealed he almost released Francis Ngannou from the UFC in 2018.

Stand and deliver. Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway engaged in a heated debate about the “stand and point” tactic ahead of UFC 308.

Beef. Dana White exchanged harsh words with PFL CEO Donn Davis as their feud continues.

Champ. Belal Muhammad responded humorously to Ilia Topuria’s ambition of becoming a three-division champion.

Rules. The New York State Athletic Commission is set to implement new MMA regulations ahead of UFC 309.

PowerSlap. Paige VanZant penalized for an illegal strike in her second PowerSlap appearance.

Between the Links.

UFC 308 press conference.

UFC 308 Open Workout highlights.

Dana White scrum.

UFC 308 Embedded, episode 4.

Jake Paul.

Jon Fitch.

Merab Dvalishvili attempting to arrange a fight that lacks interest.

Good decision.

Adrian Yanez.

Francis Ngannou’s remarkable comeback under challenging circumstances may be underestimated due to the lack of interest in the PFL and the opponent, Renan Ferreira. Nevertheless, his return was truly impressive.

Now, just one more sleep until the highly anticipated event this weekend.

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