Francis Ngannou has honored the memory of his 15-month-old son Kobe in a heartbreaking tribute five months on from 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 defeat 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 tribute to his late son.
A tattoo showing Kobe’s name and a dove could be seen on his left bicep as he weighed in for his bout against Renan Ferreira in Saudi Arabia, ensuring his memory will forever live on.
Ngannou released a gut-wrenching statement confirming Kobe’s death back in April, admitting he did not know how to deal with the loss of his young child.
Francis Ngannou has honored the memory of his 15-month-old son Kobe with a tattoo tribute
‘Too soon to leave but yet he’s gone,’ he wrote. ‘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.
‘I was my best self next to him and now I have no clue of who I am. Life is so unfair to hit us where it hurts the most.
‘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.’
Weeks before Kobe’s passing, Ngannou was brutally knocked out by former world heavyweight boxing champion Joshua in Saudi Arabia.
Yet after crossing over to the sweet science for bouts against both AJ and Tyson Fury – whom he dropped to the canvas before losing a highly-controversial points decision – the ex-UFC king returns to MMA on Saturday night.
He will lock horns with Ferreira in Saudi this weekend to kickstart a new chapter in his combat sports career, despite toying with retirement in the wake of his son’s tragic death.
The ex-UFC Heavyweight king announced the devastating news of Kobe’s passing back in April
He is set to return to MMA in a PFL bout against Renan Ferreira in Saudi Arabia on Saturday
Ngannou admitted that he was contemplating retirement in the wake of his son’s death
‘I questioned if I should continue or if I should just retire but I didn’t want my son to be the reason for me to do that so I decided that I will keep fighting for him,’ Ngannou said at a press conference for the fight in August.
‘It’s become a new purpose for me. My son was 15 months old but he was very active and I had a lot of plans in the future for him but life decided otherwise.
‘I decided to make a positive out of his 15 months of living; to keep going instead of quitting. It’s the best way of honoring him.’
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