Renowned former UFC athlete, now professional boxer Francis Ngannou, shared an emotional announcement on Monday as he revealed that his young son Kobe had tragically passed away at the age of just one. The MMA star confirmed in a statement posted to social media platform X that Kobe died suddenly on Saturday and asked for help from followers who may have insights into how best to cope with such unbearable loss.
The Cameroon-born fighter’s words expressed an immense sense of sorrow as he referred to his son, describing him as “full of life” before adding that the young boy was now lying lifeless and not responding when Ngannou called out for him repeatedly. The 36-year-old further lamented how unfair it is for such a tragedy to strike so close home and said he’s at an absolute loss over what course of action might provide some semblance of solace during this difficult time.
The cause behind Kobe’s death has not been disclosed, but Ngannou’s camp reportedly requested privacy regarding the matter. Fellow combat sports superstars Conor McGregor and Cris Cyborg expressed their condolences to Ngannou on social media platforms X and Twitter respectively as they prayed for comfort and strength during this trying period in his life.
Ngannou enjoyed brief yet brilliant runs inside the octagon that propelled him from comparative anonymity into UFC’s elite echelon, where he was crowned heavyweight champion before embarking on a new journey as a professional boxer last year. The Cameroonian has been preparing for another big-name matchup since suffering his first loss to former WBA, IBF and WBO world title holder Anthony Joshua in their high profile bout at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium back in August 2021.
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