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 not sure whether or not he’d ever combat 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, sure [I didn’t know if I’d fight again]. There was a degree that you simply did not know something. All the pieces appeared so fragile,” Francis advised 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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@LewisSimpsonMMA
“You did not know if it is like some type of genetic pandemic, genetic illness. You did not know if it was like a curse. If it was simply unhealthy luck that is going to maintain occurring. There was a degree that, you realize, like lots of stuff occurred in your head, stuff that you do not often take into consideration.”
Ngannou made the combat look straightforward … however mentally and emotionally, says it was “by far the hardest” 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 did not really feel like there could be a time that it may go away, the place it may be okay. It is a kind of issues that you simply simply understand firstly that you simply higher discover ways to roll with it as a result of it is going to all the time be there.”
Try the complete interview with Francis … we discuss what’s subsequent, together with the potential for preventing Jon Jones, Tyson Fury, and Deontay Wilder!