FRANCIS NGANNOU emotionally paid tribute to his late son Kobe after successful his MMA return.
Ngannou misplaced 15-month-old Kobe abruptly in April to depart him considering his profession within the cage.
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However he vowed to battle on in honour of his boy and did so towards 6ft 8in Brazilian Renan Ferreira.
And it took him simply three minutes to hammer Ferreira into submission – earlier than breaking down in tears.
Ngannou bravely weeped: “I am unable to take into consideration something apart from my son, Kobe. I solely took this battle due to him, I took the battle for him.
“I hope they’ll bear in mind his identify as a result of with out Kobe, we would not be right here tonight. I would not have fought.”
Ngannou put his MMA profession on maintain after strolling out on the UFC in 2022 as their heavyweight world champion.
And he crossed over to pursue a lifelong ambition of boxing, sensationally dropping Tyson Fury on his debut.
However he misplaced a controversial split-decision loss to Fury, 36, earlier than being knocked out 5 months later by Anthony Joshua, 35.
Ngannou went again to his MMA roots to make his return towards Ferreira, 34, however needed to do it carrying the burden of dropping his son.
He mentioned: “It was robust, it has been robust. Not solely the coaching camp was robust, the previous two days have been very robust, stuffed with emotion.
“I could not do something with out interested by it. I used to be making an attempt to say I used to be sturdy, inform myself to maintain shifting but it surely was arduous.”
Ngannou got here out swinging towards Ferreira however scored a shock takedown to take the bout to the bottom.
But it surely was on the ground that he ruthlessly hammered 6ft 8in Ferreira into submission at hand him an emotional first-round end.
Wiping away the tears from his eyes, Ngannou as soon as extra devoted the second to his son.
He mentioned: “I simply need to say, please bear in mind my son. Keep in mind my son, Kobe. That is for Kobe.”
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