Francis Ngannou was on the brink of walking away from the fight game after the heartbreaking loss of his 15-month-old son Kobe. However, the former UFC heavyweight champion found a deeper meaning in the tragedy that inspired him to continue his journey.
Ngannou is making his promotional debut this Saturday in the main event of the PFL’s Battle of the Giants pay-per-view card, where he will face off against the dangerous knockout artist Renan Ferreira. Despite considering retirement after the loss of his son, Ngannou is determined to find purpose and meaning in his upcoming fight.
“My purpose is to make this fight meaningful,” Ngannou shared with MMA Fighting. “This fight almost didn’t happen. I was close to not fighting this year, or possibly never again. But I want to give a purpose to the things that happen in life. Instead of using it as a reason to give up, I want to use it as motivation to continue and make things more impactful.”
Ngannou reflects on the loss of his son and how it nearly led him to quit everything. However, he realized that it was not his son’s responsibility to make him quit, but his own. This realization fueled Ngannou to push forward and pursue his fighting career once again.
After nearly three years away from the MMA cage, Ngannou is ready to make his return. Following his successful UFC heavyweight title defense against Ciryl Gane, Ngannou made the decision to join PFL and pursue opportunities in the boxing ring. Now, he is focused on capturing the PFL Superfight heavyweight title in his upcoming bout.
With a heavy heart and newfound motivation, Ngannou is determined to make his son Kobe proud, no matter the outcome of his fight in Saudi Arabia this weekend.
“The only thing I can do is make a purpose of his existence, or of this loss,” Ngannou expressed. “I want to make it meaningful and ensure that his name is remembered in a positive light.”