FRANCIS NGANNOU has confirmed his first fight since the tragic loss of his son Kobe.
Ngannou revealed the sad loss of her 15-month-old son in April.
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It came just a month after he was knocked out in the boxing ring by British star Anthony Joshua.
Ngannou suffered privately and put his fighting career on hold following the personal pain.
But the former UFC champion has announced his return to the Octagon after a lucrative move to boxing.
Ngannou will make his Professional Fighters League debut against 6-foot-2 Brazilian giant Renan Ferreira on October 19.
He said: “Renan is a great fighter; I’ve been watching him for years.
“I’ve been studying him for years, I’ve actually been telling people to watch this guy.
“He’s unique, he’s athletic, he’s fast, his size doesn’t impress me as much as his skill.”
Ngannou, 37, left the UFC in 2023 to pursue boxing and faced former champion Tyson Fury, 35, in his debut.
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And he sensationally took down Fury, only to lose a controversial decision in Saudi Arabia.
It still earned him a fight against Joshua, 34, but it ended in a brutal knockout defeat in the second round.
Ngannou is believed to have earned around £15million from his two boxing fights – but he will now return to MMA.
The Cameroonian signed with UFC rivals PFL – who gave him the green light to also box at the same time.
And Ngannou watched from cageside in February as Ferreira, 34, knocked out Ryan Bader, 41, in just 21 SECONDS.
This gave Ferreira the chance to welcome Ngannou back to the MMA cage and earn a huge purse.
Because Ngannou remarkably negotiated on behalf of his opponent to win at least $2 million (£1.5 million) against him.
I always love life. I know I never thought about suicide, but at least this time I think that whenever I die I will see my son. I’ll see him. I’m not afraid of that.
Francisco Ngannou
The African legend broke his silence following the death of his son Kobe in a courageous interview with Joe Rogan, which was reduced to tears.
Ngannou said: “In your heart, you feel broke. You have nothing. Nothing is worth it.
“I have always loved life. I know I never thought about suicide, but at least for the first time I think that whenever I die I will see my son. this.
“You get to that point where you think like that. So somehow you feel anxious when that happens.
“I really want to go back and do something. Why do I fight? I don’t even need to, I don’t want to [to]. But that boy, for just 15 months, taught me one thing.
“He was active, full of life. He would be doing something, not standing there.
“This is the only way to honor him. Your memory, keep you alive, have a purpose, make you a motivation.”
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
