Francis Ngannou says he wasn’t certain if he would ever battle once more after son Kobe’s demise

Francis Ngannou returned to the cage final weekend – six months after tragedy struck his household – and the martial arts celebrity admits he wasn’t certain he would ever battle once more.

TMZ Sports activities spoke with the 38-year-old former UFC champion turned boxer/PFL fighter simply days after he submitted Renan Ferreira by way of first-round knockout in Saudi Arabia… and cracked up after the battle broke down in tears as he spoke in regards to the devastating lack of his son Kobe.

“Oh sure [I didn’t know if I’d fight again]. There was a degree the place you knew nothing. Every thing appeared so fragile,” Francis instructed us, including that his thoughts raced at a mile a minute throughout that horrific time.

“You did not know if it was some type of genetic pandemic, a genetic illness. You did not know if it was a curse. If it was simply unhealthy luck, it will maintain occurring. There was a degree the place, you recognize, like a number of issues occurred in your head, issues you do not usually take into consideration.”

Ngannou made the battle look straightforward… however mentally and emotionally it was “by far the hardest” of his profession.

When Francis lastly determined when to step again into the cage, he concluded that the ache would by no means go away… so there was nothing to attend for.

“I did not really feel like there would come a time when it will go away, that it will be okay. It is a type of issues the place you understand to start with that you simply higher study to cope with it as a result of it’ll occur .” all the time be there.”

Watch the complete interview with Francis… we discuss in regards to the future, together with the potential of combating Jon Jones, Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder!