Francis Ngannou is one of the toughest individuals in the world of combat sports. The former UFC heavyweight champion is regarded as the strongest puncher ever to step foot in the octagon. However, the African fighter had to go through a lot in his life and recently shared why he named his late son after Kobe Bryant.
Francis Ngannou recently clicked a picture with Joe Rogan that took the internet by storm. As it turns out, both also recorded a new podcast on the Joe Rogan Experience. The interview was an extremely emotional one as the fighter talked about the death of his son. On top of that, Ngannou also shared why he named his son after basketball legend Kobe Bryant.
Kobe was his name. I name him after Kobe Bryant because I had a great memory of Kobe Bryant…..Kobe and I there for like, 30 minutes. My English is very bad, I’m embarrassed, I don’t wanna speak and then he keeps talking, asking questions, talk about my story. Ask me where I came from…and like, ‘Wow, this [is] impressive’…That was like my moment with Kobe.
Francis Ngannou via JRE MMA Show #160
Sometime back, Ngannou shared the tragic news about the death of his son Kobe. He mourned his loss with a heartfelt social media post. Top athletes such as Anthony Joshua and Conor McGregor shared their condolences to Ngannou. In the interview with Joe Rogan, the heavyweight fighter was extremely sad about his son’s death.
Ngannou struggled a lot during his childhood and started working in sand quarries when he was ten years old. After much hard work, the ‘Predator’ made it to UFC and became a world champion. Although he made way more money, it wasn’t what he wanted. This prompted the fighter to finally leave the promotion, which shook the world of combat sports.
How much money did Francis Ngannou make in the UFC for one fight?
Francis Ngannou won the UFC heavyweight championship by beating Stipe Miocic via a vicious knockout. He defended his title once against Ciryl Game at UFC 270. It was the knockout artist’s last UFC bout, as he left the promotion afterward. According to the fighter, he didn’t get the money he wanted from UFC and was mistreated by the top brass.
Francis Ngannou in UFC (via X)This ignited the long-running debate regarding the controversial nature of the fighter’s pay in UFC. Many stood with Ngannou for taking his stand and ditching the promotion. However, when the fighter finally disclosed the amount he was being offered, it was rather very shocking.
Hundred, Hundred-twenty (Thousand dollars)
Francis Ngannou via Le Batard Show
Leaving UFC was a great decision for him as he got a multi-million dollar deal with PFL. Ngannou also got the opportunity to box against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, which earned him millions. Currently, the fighter is eager to utilize his position as the chairman of PFL Africa to develop the nation as a MMA giant.
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