Francis Ngannou has honored the memory of his 15-month-old son Kobe in a heartbreaking tribute five months after his tragic death.
The MMA icon, who previously reigned as UFC heavyweight champion, announced the devastating news of Kobe’s passing just weeks after his boxing loss to Anthony Joshua in April.
And as he prepares to return to his natural discipline in the Professional Fighters League this weekend, Ngannou revealed a tattoo in tribute to his late son.
A tattoo featuring Kobe’s name and a dove could be seen on his left bicep as he weighed in for his fight against Renan Ferreira in Saudi Arabia, ensuring his memory will live on forever.
Ngannou issued a heartbreaking statement confirming Kobe’s death in April, admitting that he didn’t know how to deal with the loss of his young son.
Francis Ngannou has honored the memory of his 15-month-old son Kobe with a tribute tattoo
“Too early to go, but he’s gone,” she wrote. ‘My little one, my partner, my partner Kobe was full of life and joy. Now it is lifeless. I shouted his name over and over again but he didn’t respond.
“I was my best self next to him and now I have no idea who I am. Life is so unfair that it hits us where it hurts the most.
‘How do you deal with something like that? How can you live with that? Please help me if you have an idea because I really don’t know what to do or how to deal with this.’
Weeks before Kobe’s death, Ngannou was brutally knocked out by former world heavyweight boxing champion Joshua in Saudi Arabia.
However, after turning to the sweet science for fights against AJ and Tyson Fury, whom he dropped to the canvas before losing a highly controversial points decision, the former UFC king returns to MMA on Saturday night.
He will face Ferreira in Saudi Arabia this weekend to begin a new chapter in his combat sports career, despite toying with retirement following the tragic death of his son.
The former UFC heavyweight king announced the devastating news of Kobe’s passing in April.
He is set to return to MMA in a PFL fight against Renan Ferreira in Saudi Arabia on Saturday.
Ngannou admitted that he was thinking about retiring after the death of his son.
“I questioned whether I should continue or if I should just retire, but I didn’t want my son to be the reason for me to do it, so I decided I’m going to continue fighting for him,” Ngannou said at a press conference for the fight in August.
‘It has become a new purpose for me. My son was 15 months old but he was very active and I had many plans for the future but life decided otherwise.
‘I decided to do something positive with his 15 months of life; keep going instead of giving up. It is the best way to honor him.”
