UFC Legend Francis Ngannou Announces Death of 15-Month-Old Son Kobe
Apr 29, 2024
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 12: UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou is seen in attendance during the UFC 281 event at Madison Square Garden on November 12, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
UFC legend Francis Ngannou revealed Monday that his 15-month-old son, Kobe, died on Saturday.
"I was my best self next to him, and now I have no clue of who I am," he wrote. "Life is so unfair to hit us where it hurts the most."
Ngannou's coach, Eric Nicksick, responded by asking fans to "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."
The details of Kobe's death were not publicly made available.
Ngannou became a household name as a heavyweight champion in the UFC but recently switched to boxing. He lost his debut fight against Tyson Fury in a matchup that was closer than expected and then lost to Anthony Joshua in his second professional boxing match on March 8.
Video: Tyson Fury Discusses Potential Anthony Joshua, Francis Ngannou Boxing Fights
Mar 20, 2024
Britain's Tyson Fury (L) arrives to fight Cameroonian-French Francis Ngannou during their heavyweight boxing match in Riyadh early on October 29, 2023. (Photo by Fayez NURELDINE / AFP) (Photo by FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images)
Tyson Fury is in the midst of training for an upcoming bout with Oleksandr Usyk, but there are no shortage of potential challengers for the Gypsy King in the future.
In an interview with Charlie Parsons of The Stomping Ground (starts at 2:05 mark), Fury said "if the money is there" he will fight anyone when asked about a possible rematch with former UFC champion Francis Ngannou.
Later in the interview (starts at 9:10 mark), Fury sidestepped a question about a potential bout with Anthony Joshua if he gets past the two fights with Usyk.
"Boxing is one of them things—you can go in there, and not come out of the ring," he said. "So how would I underestimate an absolute beast—he's an absolute killer and he's a bad man, Usyk. So how would you underestimate him to be looking at a guy who he's already beat twice? I don't think you'd do that, would you?"
The potential for a Fury-Ngannou rematch seemed very high after their showdown in October was much closer than anyone expected. Ngannou even scored a third-round knockdown, but Fury was able to get the win via split decision.
There was some hope of setting up a second fight between the two, though that may not be as appealing now in the wake of Ngannou being knocked out in the second round against Joshua on March 8.
Fury vs. Joshua is a fight that has been talked about for years, but various obstacles have gotten in the way. The one time it looked like the bout was going to happen came in March 2021 when the two sides signed a two-fight deal to unify the heavyweight titles.
Soon after the agreement, an arbitrator ordered Fury to fulfill his contractual obligation to fight Deontay Wilder for a third time before taking on Joshua. Neither bout has happened to this point, with Fury eventually defending the WBC title against mandatory challenger Dillian Whyte in December 2021.
Joshua lost the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight titles to Usyk in September 2021. Usyk defeated him in a rematch to retain those titles and win the vacant The Ring championship.
Fury and Usyk agreed to a bout for the undisputed heavyweight title that will take place on May 18. The deal contains a two-way rematch clause that the loser can trigger for an automatic return bout.
Dana White Rips Ex-UFC Star Francis Ngannou After Knockout in Anthony Joshua Fight
Mar 10, 2024
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - DECEMBER 15: UFC CEO Dana White is seen on stage during the UFC 2024 seasonal press conference at MGM Grand Garden Arena on December 15, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Following Francis Ngannou's brutal knockout loss against Anthony Joshua on Friday, his former boss couldn't help but take a shot at him.
"I saw it on social media," UFC president Dana White said about the knockout, per MMA Fighting's Damon Martin. "Going into the Fury fight, if Fury trained for the fight and didn't show up and look like he ate Tyson Fury, that's probably the way that fight would have ended, too."
"You know how I feel about crossovers into boxing," White added. "That's how they end. Just like that."
Ngannou, the former UFC heavyweight champion who is now signed to PFL, was fighting in just the second boxing match of his career. After a surprisingly impressive showing against Fury in October in which he knocked down the lineal heavyweight champ before losing by a controversial split decision, things were much different for Ngannou this time around.
Joshua completely outclassed Ngannou, scoring two knockdowns before knocking him out with a brutal overhand right in the second round.
While he was in the UFC, Ngannou often expressed his desire to try his hand at boxing and mentioned Fury as a potential opponent several times. The opportunity to be a part of these superfights while still competing in MMA played a factor in his decision to leave the UFC when his contract ended at the start of 2023.
While White may feel some sort of vindication after Ngannou's loss to Joshua, Ngannou still won't give up on the chance to compete in boxing again. He was paid a reported $20 million for the Joshua fight, so he won't pass up on the opportunity for another massive payday. The 37-year-old made it clear that he intends to return to the squared circle at some point, but it remains to be seen if it will be for his next fight.
Ngannou has yet to make his PFL debut, so perhaps a return to MMA would be his best course of action. A matchup against PFL heavyweight champion Renan Ferreira would surely excite fans.
Francis Ngannou Apologizes to Fans After Brutal Knockout Loss to Anthony Joshua
Mar 9, 2024
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - MARCH 8: Anthony Joshua knocks down Francis N'Gannou for the 1st time during their Heavyweight Contest at Kingdom Arena on March 8, 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing via Getty Images)
Francis Ngannou's second boxing match didn't go nearly as well as his first one.
The former UFC heavyweight champion was destroyed by Anthony Joshua almost from the jump. He was dropped twice in quick succession in the second round, with the final blow resulting in a knockout victory for Joshua.
There was some optimism after his bout with Tyson Fury about Ngannou's ability to transition from mixed martial arts to boxing. Even though Ngannou lost that fight via split decision, he was able to score a third-round knockdown against the unbeaten champion.
Fury admitted earlier this week he wasn't sure how to gauge Ngannou's talent as a boxer.
"I didn't have a good night (in October). I had a lot of problems, but I am not here to make excuses," the Gypsy King said. "I can't really gauge how good or bad he was because of how poor I was."
This may not have been the best fight to evaluate Ngannou on because of the level of competition. Joshua is arguably the best heavyweight boxer in the world right now. He's been fighting regularly, as opposed to Fury who took most of 2023 off before agreeing to the bout with Ngannou.
If Ngannou wants to make it as a top star in boxing, in addition to continuing his MMA career in the PFL, he needs to take gradual steps before stepping in the ring against fighters like Joshua.
Well, it was fun while it lasted, no? A year ago at this time, Francis Ngannou was a deposed UFC heavyweight champion looking to begin the next chapter in an…
Francis Ngannou Says He 'Didn't Feel' Knockout Punch From Anthony Joshua
Mar 9, 2024
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - MARCH 08: Anthony Joshua punches Francis Ngannou during the Heavyweight fight between Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou on the Knockout Chaos boxing card at the Kingdom Arena on March 08, 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
Francis Ngannou told reporters he didn't even feel the knockout punch Anthony Joshua leveled to end their heavyweight boxing match in the second round on Friday in Saudi Arabia.
"In fact, I didn't feel the punch,'' Ngannou said, per Josh Peter of USA Today. "I think that's what the knockout is about. I don't feel any pain. That's how I know I was knocked out."
As combat sports journalist Ariel Helwani noted, this match marked the first time Ngannou has been knocked down and knocked out. Joshua dropped Ngannou in Round 1 before finishing the match in Round 2.
Ngannou was out briefly before he made it to his stool. Officials then administered oxygen to the former UFC heavyweight champion, per ESPN's Mike Coppinger.
Ngannou reached out to his followers post-match:
Sorry guys I let you all down 😔 Today was a bad day in the office but tomorrow will be another day. Thank you all for the love ❤️
This marked Ngannou's second professional boxing match after he made his debut with a competitive split decision defeat to WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury last October.
Joshua, a former heavyweight champion, improved to 28-3 lifetime with 25 knockouts.
Anthony Joshua's Brutal KO Win Over Francis Ngannou Shows There Are Levels to This
Lyle Fitzsimmons
Mar 9, 2024
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - MARCH 08: Anthony Joshua punches Francis Ngannou during the Heavyweight fight between Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou on the Knockout Chaos boxing card at the Kingdom Arena on March 08, 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
This, folks, is what it was supposed to look like five months ago.
Two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua treated boxing newbie Francis Ngannou exactly how a world-class operator is supposed to treat a novice, exploiting a leaky defense with three devastating right hands on the way to a second-round KO in their pay-per-view showdown in Saudi Arabia.
Joshua was a significant betting favorite entering the fight, but much pre-fight chatter centered on how impressive Ngannou had looked against incumbent WBC champ Tyson Fury last October, knocking him down in the third round and stretching him to the 10-round distance before losing a split decision.
So, given Joshua's run of mediocre high-profile performances in losses to Andy Ruiz and Oleksandr Usyk (twice) that ended his two heavyweight reigns, it wasn't hard to find people who believed the powerful ex-UFC menace would be able to land impactful shots and finish off a mammoth upset.
Didn't happen.
Though Ngannou strode to center ring for referee instructions with the look of a guy who'd pulled off a competitive heist to get himself another Saudi-backed paycheck, Joshua's contrasting intensity was palpable, and his preparation was obvious.
He spent two-thirds of the opening round avoiding Ngannou's clumsy attempts to counter jabs with quick left hooks, then stepped in as his foe ill-advisedly switched to southpaw and landed a straight right that instantly had Ngannou tumbling backward to the canvas.
The MMA veteran was up at eight and re-engaged by the end of the round, but Joshua repeated the sequence at roughly the same point of the second, following a flicking jab with an overhand right that resulted in another knockdown. Ngannou rose again, albeit a bit more gingerly, and almost instantly walked into a game-over right that folded him backward over his right leg like patio furniture.
It's what was supposed to have happened against Fury.
But it was nevertheless jarring in its suddenness.
"I am stunned. I am a little bit speechless," said DAZN analyst and veteran MMA journalist Ariel Helwani, who's covered Ngannou since his early MMA days. "I've seen him struck with knees and elbows and I've never seen him hurt. I've never seen him knocked down. To see that was stunning."
Indeed, by the time Ricky Gonzalez waved his arms at 2:38, the "AJ" train was back at full speed.
"There is no man in the world who can beat him in the heavyweight division," said a jubilant Eddie Hearn, whose Matchroom operation orchestrated Joshua's rise from Olympic champ to professional star. "He ain't getting beat. That was one of the most destructive KOs anyone's ever seen. He went in there and destroyed Francis Ngannou. He's a savage. He's a beast."
Hearn's hyperbolic outburst came not far from where Fury, whose own date with Usyk was postponed from February to May by an eye injury, was standing.
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - MARCH 8: Tyson Fury is interviewed at Kingdom Arena on March 8, 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Britain's Anthony Joshua is fighting Cameroon's Francis Ngannou as the main event. (Photo by Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing via Getty Images)
And though the "Gypsy King" has rarely backed down from a verbal scrap, he was measured in his response and appeared genuinely impressed with Joshua's win.
"He was absolutely fantastic tonight. That's what I should have done to (Ngannou)," he said.
"But if he fights me, it'd be a different game."
Hearn said it'd be the biggest fight in the history of the sport. And he's not wrong.
The UK-based rivals have danced around and toward each other for years—before, during and since their simultaneous claims of heavyweight supremacy.
Joshua KO'd Charles Martin in April 2016 to win the IBF belt that Fury vacated after taking it from Wladimir Klitschko five months earlier, and he was a three-belt claimant when Fury returned from a long hiatus to draw with Deontay Wilder in the first round of their trilogy in December 2018.
Joshua lost and regained his titles across two bouts with Ruiz in 2019 and Fury beat Wilder to become WBC champ in early 2020. They reigned together until September 2021 and the first of Joshua's two upset losses to Usyk. In fact, Joshua and Fury had agreed to two bouts earlier that year, but Fury was contractually forced into a third bout with Wilder—leaving Joshua to stay busy against Usyk.
JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA - AUGUST 20: Oleksandr Usyks punch is dodged by Anthony Joshua during the Rage on the Red Sea Heavyweight Title Fight at King Abdullah Sports City Arena on August 20, 2022 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Khalid Alhaj/MB Media/Getty Images)
This time it's Fury and Usyk who've agreed to two fights, leaving Joshua to cool his heels waiting or spend the meantime pursuing other quarry. He said he was certainly interested in meeting whoever emerges from the Fury-Usyk series but would leave the specifics to Hearn and Co.
"I'm gonna go back to my cage and lock myself away," he said, "and whenever it's time for me to do what I've got to do, I'll come out."
Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou: Fight Odds, Live Stream, Predictions
Alex Ballentine
Mar 8, 2024
Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou
Francis Ngannou makes his second walk to the boxing ring to take on a former world champion in Anthony Joshua in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
A year ago, this might have been considered nothing more than a spectacle. Just another frivolous entry in the history of boxing vs. MMA matchups. But that was before Francis Ngannou showed that he has a little more to offer in boxing than the average MMA convert.
In October, Ngannou made his boxing debut at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia against Tyson Fury. Instead of a sideshow, it turned out to be a legitimate scrap with Fury coming away with a hard-earned split-decision victory over 10 rounds.
Two months later Anthony Joshua beat Otto Wallin in Riyadh on a double feature with Deontay Wilder. Joshua and Wilder were supposed to finally meet, but Joseph Parker pulled off a stunning upset and opened the door for Ngannou to step in to this huge fight.
Fight Info, Odds
When: Friday, March 8 at 5:50 p.m. ET (approximate main event ringwalk time)
Francis Ngannou got the attention of the boxing world with his effort against Fury. A win over Joshua would command its respect.
The Nigerian Nightmare earned a reputation as one of the best power punchers in the history of MMA. His ability to flatten opponents with just one strike made him a constant danger to anyone he fought and he has a UFC heavyweight championship belt to show for it.
Punching power doesn't always translate to the nuance of professional boxing, though. So when Ngannou announced that he wanted to try his hand at the sweet science it was met with understandable reservation by some.
Fury's post-fight interview told boxing fans all they need to know. The champ said Ngannou was one of his toughest fights of the last 10 years and also noted how awkward his style is.
Ultimately Ngannou came up short of pulling off the upset over Fury while gaining more notoriety in the sport for how he represented himself.
He isn't done with boxing yet, though. Ngannou had three opponents in mind when he decided to venture into boxing. Joshua will be the second.
"There were three names I had in mind, Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder," Ngannou told DAZN's Off the Cuff. "I still have those three names."
He might still want Wilder, but the American's career momentum is in neutral right now. The loss to Parker might decrease demand for that fight, especially if Ngannou beats Joshua.
This fight is about more than money for Joshua. This could be an important step back to a title fight for the Brit if he plays his cards right. Joshua's confidence and form have been a top discussion in the division for years now. A shocking upset loss to Andy Ruiz and back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk legitimized questions about whether he'd ever get to that level again.
Since then he's rattled off three straight wins against Jermaine Franklin, Robert Helenius and Wallin. They are good performances but the opponents have been questionable. Ngannou doesn't have an extensive boxing resume but his power is no joke and he is coming off the performance against Fury.
Prediction
In an interview with MMA Junkie, Joshua promoter Eddie Hearn remarked that Joshua, "should be petrified. But he's really not, and that's worrying in itself."
He also went on to say that he believes Joshua is the better fighter and will eventually knockout Tyson Fury if he gets past Ngannou. That's classic promoter talk. It behooves him to hype both this fight and a potential matchup with Fury.
However, if there's a kernel of truth about Joshua's mindset heading into this fight then there could be an upset. Joshua has struggled in the past with letting his hands go if he's taking on a power puncher. Since his upset loss to Andy Ruiz there's a pensiveness that has creeped into his game from time to time.
The question here is how Joshua reacts the first time Ngannou catches him with a significant punch. If that sends him into rigid mode then Ngannou's awkwardness and punching prowess might be enough to pull the massive upset this time.
Prediction: Ngannou via sixth-round TKO
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Francis Ngannou Says He Made $600K in Last UFC Fight; Reported $20M Purse vs. Joshua
Mar 8, 2024
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - MARCH 7: Francis Ngannou at the weigh-in ahead of his fight with Anthony Joshua on March 7, 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing via Getty Images)
Frances Ngannou revealed on the Pound 4 Pound podcast with Henry Cejudo and Kamaru Usman that he made $600,000 after his last UFC fight, a Jan. 2022 unanimous decision win over Ciryl Gane to defend the promotion's heavyweight title.
Ngannou says UFC was offering him millions instead of the $600,000, but that would have locked him into a contract that wouldn't have given him his desired freedom.
"In that contract, I'm not free," he said on the MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani in January 2023 (h/t Steven Marrocco of MMA Fighting). "I'm not an independent contractor. I have no rights. I hand over all the power to you guys. I've seen in the past how you guys can utilize your power against me, and I don't want that."
Ngannou's decision to leave UFC with president Dana White has turned out to be a lucrative one, then. He could be making in the neighborhood of $20 million for his upcoming heavyweight boxing match with Anthony Joshua, per Brian Mazique of Forbes:
"His drawing power has only increased based on Ngannou's showing vs. Fury, a fight that saw him floor the lineal champion before losing a controversial unanimous decision. There's every reason to believe his payday, before pay-per-view sales and sponsorships kick in, could be approaching $20 million."
Adam Stern of the Sports Business Journal previously reported that Ngannou's agent confirmed his client is receiving an eight-figure payday for this bout.
Ngannou also made $10 million for his fight against heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury. So needless to say, he's raking in some well-deserved cash right now in his post-UFC career.
Rewind to the beginning of 2022 when Francis Ngannou defended his UFC heavyweight crown against Cyril Gane. It would have been implausible to think Ngannou…
