TMZSports.com
Francis Ngannou returned to the cage final weekend — 6 months after tragedy struck his household — and the fight sports activities famous person admits he was uncertain whether or not he’d ever battle once more.
TMZ Sports activities talked to the 38-year-old former UFC champion turned boxer/PFL fighter simply days after he dispatched Renan Ferreira through a first-round knockout in Saudi Arabia … after which broke down in tears after the bout whereas speaking concerning the devastating lack of his little boy, Kobe.
“Oh, yes [I didn’t know if I’d fight again]. There was a point that you didn’t know anything. Everything seemed so fragile,” Francis instructed us, including his thoughts was racing a mile a minute throughout that horrific time.
FRANCIS NGANNOU KNOCKS OUT RENAN FERRERIA IN THE FIRST ROUND 😳#PFLSuperFights
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“You didn’t know if it’s like some sort of genetic pandemic, genetic disease. You didn’t know if it was like a curse. If it was just bad luck that’s going to keep happening. There was a point that, you know, like a lot of stuff happened in your head, stuff that you don’t usually think about.”
Ngannou made the battle look straightforward … however mentally and emotionally, says it was “by far the toughest” of his profession.
Finally, when deciding when to step again within the cage, Francis got here to the conclusion that the ache would by no means go away … so there was nothing to attend out.
“I didn’t feel like there would be a time that it’s going to go away, where it’s going to be okay. It’s one of those things that you just realize at the beginning that you better learn how to roll with it because it will always be there.”
Try the complete interview with Francis … we discuss what’s subsequent, together with the potential for combating Jon Jones, Tyson Fury, and Deontay Wilder!