FRANCIS NGANNOU’S 18-month old son has tragically passed away.
The 37-year-old took to X to confirm the heartbreaking news.
AFPNgannou has appeared to confirm the news on social media[/caption]
On Ngannou’s X account, he heartbreakingly wrote: “What’s the purpose of life if what we’re fighting tooth and nail to get away from is what finally hit us the hardest!?
“Why is life so unfair and merciless? Why does life always take what we don’t have? I’m f***ing tired.”
Fans were quick to share their well-wishes for the boxer, who recently fought both Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, amidst the shock news.
Fellow UFC star Conor McGregor wrote: “I am so sorry to hear of your loss Francis, my prayers are with you and your family at this time.”
A fellow well-wisher wrote: “No parent should ever have to go through this My deepest sympathies.”
Another fan wrote: “Incredibly sorry for your loss – unimaginable ”
Ngannou was UFC heavyweight champion between 2020 and 2023 before he left to pursue a career in boxing.
That saw him give Tyson Fury an almighty scare in October last year when he dropped the Brit in the fifth round – before narrowly losing on points.
That was despite the fight being Ngannou’s first ever professional boxing bout.
His training saw him strike up a close relationship with boxing legend Mike Tyson, who trained him for his fight against the Gypsy King.
He went on to lose to Anthony Joshua in his second professional bout last month.
Ngannou experienced an incredible rise to stardom in martial arts after facing extreme poverty in his hometown of Batie in Cameroon.
Aged nine, he began working in a sand mine alongside his 11-year-old brother to provide for his family.
He moved from Cameroon to France aged 26 without a penny to his name to pursue a career in boxing.
After initially being homeless, he met coach Didier Carmont who let him train and sleep at the boxing gym free of cost.
Here, he was first introduced to the sport of MMA which saw him go on to become one of the biggest names in the history of the sport.
Very little generally is known about Ngannou’s personal life which he generally keeps extremely private.
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