Francis Ngannou is mourning the tragic death of his 15-month-old son.
The former UFC heavyweight champion — who is notoriously private and hasn’t publicly revealed the mother of his child —admitted he has no idea “how to deal with this” after his boy died on April 27.
“Too soon to leave but yet he’s gone,” he wrote on Instagram. “My little boy, my mate, my partner Kobe was full of life and joy. Now, he’s laying without life. I shouted his name over and over but he’s not responding. I was my best self next to him, and now I have no clue of who I am. Life is so unfair to hit us where it hurts the most.
“How do you deal with such a thing? How can you live with it? Please help me if you have an idea because I really don’t know what to do and how to deal with this,” Ngannou continued.
The fighter also took to X, formerly Twitter, to share a different message about grief.
“What’s the purpose of life if what we’re fighting tooth and nail to get away from is what finally hit us the hardest!?” he wrote.
“Why is life so unfair and merciless? Why does life always take what we don’t have? I’m f—— tired,” he continued.
Ngannou’s fans, friends and fellow MMA and UFC fighters have sent their condolences during such a gut-wrenching time.
“I am so sorry to hear of your loss, Francis. My prayers are with you and your family at this time,” Conor McGregor replied.
And Ngannou’s coach, Erick Nicksick, asked everyone to keep the star and his family in their hearts, as he urged people to “say I love you more often.”
“It’s been a heavy few days, words can’t express the pain we all feel for the Ngannou family during this time. Please keep Francis and his family in your heart, and may this be a reminder of the fragility of life. Say ‘I love you,’ more often — tomorrow isn’t guaranteed,” he tweeted.
Ngannou first rose to fame in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) where he held the UFC Heavyweight Title and racked up a 12-2 record.
In boxing, he lost to Tyson Fury in a controversial split decision before losing to Anthony Joshua by knockout last month.
