"I was trapped" - Francis Ngannou explains why Renan Ferreira fight was the toughest one of his career so far
Francis Ngannou has opened up about why his most recent professional combat sports contest, an MMA bout against Renan Ferreira, was the most difficult one of his career thus far. 'The Predator' notably highlighted the emotional challenges heading into the fight.
After his UFC departure in Jan. 2023, Ngannou competed in a pair of boxing matches. He lost to Tyson Fury via split decision last October and via second-round KO to Anthony Joshua this March, the latter being his first knockout loss in his professional combat sports career.
On the personal side, Ngannou had a lot to deal with. In April 2024, he revealed that his 15-month-old son, Kobe Ngannou, had tragically passed away. After some time off, he returned to action and made his PFL promotional debut by defeating 2023 PFL heavyweight tournament champion Renan Ferreira via first-round KO on Oct. 19, 2024.
On The Ariel Helwani Show, Francis Ngannou was asked about his tearful in-cage post-fight interview after his aforementioned PFL victory. The 38-year-old suggested that his son's passing made the Ferreira fight the toughest challege of his career.
He said:
"I didn't know if I was going to fight. But the reason why I took this fight, I think, it would be a better way to honor my son. And all along the process. Even when it was tough, I always think of the reason why I want to fight and why I'm fighting. And let me tell you what -- it's been the toughest one. It's been the toughest fight for me. Like, to get there."
He went on to add:
"I was trapped into this zone that I had to really struggle to get out of it, to get that fight, to be able to fight. It was tough. It was really tough. It wasn't just like a normal fight that I used to fight, you know, that you just walk there and go fight and whatever happened. It was beyond fighting. It was beyond; way more than fighting."
Check out Ngannou's comments below:
Check out the full episode below:
Francis Ngannou's emotional tribute to Kobe Ngannou after win over Renan Ferreira in PFL debut
During a recent appearance on veteran UFC color commentator Joe Rogan's JRE (Joe Rogan Experience) podcast, Francis Ngannou indicated that an undiagnosed brain malformation led to his son's passing. Ngannou recounted that his son had passed out a couple of times, in Cameroon and Saudi Arabia. Apparently, the doctors ran some tests, but failed to detect the affliction.
During his in-ring post-fight interview after defeating Renan Ferreira in the PFL, Francis Ngannou paid his respects to his beloved son Kobe. Ngannou tearfully stated that he wanted to honor his son by fighting and that he couldn't think of anything else but his son at the moment:
"I hope they can remember his name. Because without Kobe we wouldn't be here tonight."
Watch Francis Ngannou's post-fight interview below: (1:38):