Francis Ngannou pondered retirement after death of his son, but wants to do 'something good in his memory'
Boxing - Antony Joshua versus Francis Ngannou - Media Event - BLVD World, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - March 6, 2024 Francis Ngannou spoke to the press before the upcoming match. Photo credits: Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge
Francis Ngannou has been struggling to cope with the challenges of life without his son.
The ex-UFC heavyweight champion sadly experienced the loss of his 15-month old son, Kobe, in April, causing him to think about his career in fighting.
Nevertheless, Ngannou (17-3 MMA, 0-0 PFL) has chosen to continue competing in order to pay tribute to his son. He will be making his PFL debut on October 19th against heavyweight champion Renan Ferreira (13-3 MMA, 7-1 PFL) in the main event, which will be broadcasted live on pay-per-view.
"I believe it has been the most challenging experience of my life," Ngannou shared with Sky Sports Boxing. "I suffered the loss of my son. There was a period where I questioned whether I should continue boxing or if I had the strength to fight again. However, I am determined to honor his memory by doing something positive. I want his memory to inspire me to keep going and to fight for him."
Ngannou explained that retirement was just a fleeting consideration. His emotional pain outweighed his desire to fight.
"I haven't considered retiring yet," Ngannou explained. "But in this situation, you start to ponder and have various thoughts. You realize the fragility of life. You feel pain, powerless, and ineffective. You begin to question your purpose and the significance of it all, of life itself."
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This post was first seen on MMA Junkie: Francis Ngannou considered quitting after the passing of his son, but now aims to do 'something positive in his honor'
