Francis Ngannou opens up on son Kobe’s death: “Traumatised.”
Francis Ngannou shared details on the death of his son Kobe in a recent interview with Daniel Cormier. Kobe died at 15 months old in April 2024 from a brain malformation doctors missed in tests in Cameroon and Saudi Arabia. Ngannou described the sudden loss. He said Kobe fainted twice before passing out for good.
Francis Ngannou opens up before Netflix return about the loss of His Son
In the YouTube talk with Daniel Cormier ahead of his MMA return, Ngannou explained how the grief hit. “You worry, I don’t have control of anybody around me, can be anybody tomorrow. You get traumatised by that,” he told Cormier. He added that the event changed his view of life. It showed him emotions he thought he had lost. Kobe made him see his own sensitivity.
Ngannou fought on after the loss. In October 2024, he won the PFL heavyweight title with a knockout of Renan Ferreira. He dedicated the win to Kobe. That marked his first bout since the death. Doctors had overlooked the brain issue earlier.
Ngannou covered more in the Cormier chat. He recalled his Cameroon childhood in sand mines from age nine. Family issues split him between homes as a kid. At 26, he took 14 months to reach France from Africa. That included a desert truck ride past skeletons. Boxing drew him first. Coaches pushed MMA.
Now Ngannou faces Philipe Lins in a five-round heavyweight matchup. The fight serves as co-main event on May 16, 2026, at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. Netflix streams the card live worldwide. It features Ronda Rousey versus Gina Carano in the main event. Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions runs the show, Netflix’s first MMA broadcast.
Lins holds an 18-5 record with nine knockouts. The 40-year-old Brazilian won the 2018 PFL heavyweight tournament. He fought in UFC and Bellator. Ngannou enters at 18-3 with 13 knockouts. His last MMA win came in 2024.
Losses to Stipe Miocic and Derrick Lewis tested him early in UFC. He bounced back with knockouts over Alistair Overeem and Curtis Blaydes. Ngannou left UFC as champion in 2023 for PFL. Ngannou then boxed Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua after.
The Netflix card pulls eyes with legends Rousey and Carano out of retirement. Ngannou trains for Lins while processing grief. He told Cormier the trauma lingers. Life feels unpredictable now. Fans watch this weekend for his next step.
