Francis Ngannou reveals heartbreaking details surrounding death of 15-month-old son
Francis Ngannou suffered an unspeakable tragedy when his 15-month-old son Kobe died.
An immensely private person, the former UFC heavyweight champion hadnāt really spoken publicly about his growing family outside the sport, but he posted a heartfelt statement regarding the death of his son after the news was first revealed back in April. Three months later, Ngannou is still trying to cope with the loss while raising a daughter and preparing to return to work as a fighter in the PFL.
During an appearance on Joe Roganās podcast, Ngannou detailed the medical emergency that led to his sonās death.
āHe has some malformation on his brain, which is something that we didnāt know,ā Ngannou said. āHe passed out twice. The first time was in Cameroon, we took him to the hospital. They didnāt find anything. The second time was in [Saudi Arabia], we took him to the hospital. They ran a lot of exams, they didnāt do anything. They did the EEG, they didnāt do the [CAT] scan or MRI, because according to them, their conclusion was that he had a swollen lung. That is what was pressing his chest and stopping him from breathing and it created that thing.
āAfter all those exams, they gave him some medicine, that heās going to be OK. Nothing to worry about. Because at first, they even thought about asthma. They gave, like, a ventilator and then afterward, after some research they took it out. It [made me] confident.ā
Ngannou says he trusted that the doctors had properly diagnosed the issues and that his son would inevitably recover. He ended up leaving his home in Cameroon to travel to Dubai, which is where he was training at the time.
āI remember just getting into Dubai and mental-wise, Iām not doing bad,ā Ngannou said. āLife is good. I went to the gym, maybe I should go to the club tonight. I donāt go to clubs, I donāt go out. I went to the gym to workout. Iām in the back cycling, and then I tried to call, I wanted to talk to him and I was on the bike. I called his mom and his mom didnāt pick up the phone. Iām like after Iām done, Iām going to go take my shower, lay in bed and call him. Thirty minutes after, I was on the leg machine, my phone rang and it was my little brother.
āHe said, āBro, things are not going well here.ā Iām like, āWhat is it?ā [He said], āKobe, he passed out, heās not breathing, we are at the hospital, they kicked me out from the room.ā Iām like, āWhatās happening?ā As we are talking, heās also trying to get information so I lost him for like three or four minutes.ā
Ngannou called his brother back and the nurse at the hospital attempted to verify his relationship to the child receiving emergency medical care. Thatās when he heard the nurse tell his brother that his son had passed away.
ā[She said], āWell, heās gone.ā Just like that. Heās gone,ā Ngannou said. āWhat do you mean heās gone? How come heās gone? This kid was 15 months, he was bigger than 15 months. He was growing. He was the most joyful happy kid around. What do you mean heās gone? Gone where? That was it.
āI thought I was dreaming. I thought they were going to say thatās not true. I kept calling again and everybody confirmed it. I called my mom, my mom is in tears. What the f*ck is this? That was it.ā
The news hit Ngannou like a sledgehammer and he struggled to comprehend that his son was actually dead.
Despite giving his family a comfortable life, and knowing that he was providing for them in every way possible, Ngannou admits he felt completely powerless after losing his son. He was reminded of losing his father when he was only 15 years old. At that time, Ngannou knew as a child that he really had no control over the situation. It was much more difficult to reconcile his sonās death because Ngannou tried to give him everything, which included the best possible medical care. Ultimately, it didnāt matter.
āThat hurt,ā Ngannou said. āThat hurt a lot.ā
Ngannouās son Kobeānamed after late NBA star Kobe Bryantāwas laid to rest, but the pain from his loss continued to linger in the days and weeks following his passing. As much as he appreciated the outpouring of support in the wake of the tragedy, Ngannou struggled to fathom how his 15-month-old child was really gone and never coming back.
āYou get back in the apartment and see all his toys, the stuff that he was playing [with], the things that you took from him the other day and put here, itās right there but heās not there anymore and will never be there anymore,ā Ngannou said. āIf they ask you what do you want or what can comfort you, you donāt know. Itās nothing. Itās really about facing it daily, take it one at a time.ā
As Ngannou prepares to restart his fighting career later this year, he knows heāll never escape the pain and anguish that goes along with the death of a child. He can only take solace in knowing that heāll eventually be reunited with Kobe one day.
āAt least whenever I die, Iām going to go see my kid,ā Ngannou said. āIām going to see him. Iām not afraid of [death]. I still want to live but when you get to that point, to think like that. So for some way youāre looking forward for whenever that happens.ā