Francis Ngannou made a poignant tribute to his deceased son, Kobe, following his victory over Brazilian fighter Renan Ferreira at a PFL event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Ngannou, who returned to MMA after a stint in boxing, expressed that his son was on his mind throughout the fight, stating, "I wanted to fight for him. I'm happy to have done this for my son. I hope we all remember his name because without him we wouldn't be here today, I wouldn't have fought."
The emotional victory came after a KO in just 3 minutes and 32 seconds, but it was overshadowed by Ngannou's grief over the loss of his son, who passed away last April at the age of 15 months due to a medical condition. Ngannou shared that his son's death significantly influenced his training and mental preparation for the fight. He dedicated the victory to Kobe, urging everyone to remember his name.
Ngannou also revealed his desire to face UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones, stating, "I've been asking for this fight for four years or a little more. If I had only one fight to do and I had to choose, this would be it." His return to the octagon marks a significant moment in his career as he transitions back to MMA under the PFL banner.
