Francis Ngannou returns to the octagon just months after the death of his son

His return

Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou will return to the octagon to face Renan 'Problema' Ferreira for the Professional Fighters League Super Fight belt on October 19^th.

Farewell to his son Kobe

The former champion has confirmed his return after the tragic passing of his 15-month-old son Kobe in April.

"My little boy, my mate, my partner Kobe"

Ngannou announced the news in a post on Instagram. "Too soon to leave but yet he's gone. My little boy, my mate, my partner Kobe was full of life and joy. Now, he's laying without life. I shouted his name over and over but he's not responding."

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"Life is so unfair"

"I was my best self next to him and now I have no clue of who I am," he continued. "Life is so unfair to hit us where it hurts the most."

"How do you deal with such a thing?"

"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," he further expressed his grief.

Condolences

Major names from the world of MMA and boxing expressed their condolences for Ngannou.

Conor McGregor

"I am so sorry to hear of your loss Francis, my prayers are with you and your family at this time," Conor McGregor wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Anthony Joshua

"May the memories you shared bring you comfort," heavyweight boxer Antony Joshua reacted to Ngannou's Instagram post. The two had met in the ring a couple of weeks prior in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with Joshua winning by a second-round knockout.

Unknown cause of death

Ngannou did not disclose the cause of his son's death in his Instagram post.

"Haven't been the easiest"

Ngannou stated his reasons for returning to the octagon: "The past few months haven't been the easiest. I think it has been by far my hardest [moment] in life. I lost my son. For some time, I felt like I didn't even have to do this or question if I should do it or fight again."

"Something good in his memory"

According to Sky Sports, he added: "But I want to do something good in his memory. Not to be the reason for me to quit but to be motivation and also to fight for him."

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