“All you’re doing is hurting,” Francis Ngannou advised to channel pain of son’s death into fighting from UFC legend
PFL debutant and ex-UFC heavyweight Francis Ngannou must 'channel' emotions in MMA return after son's death, says Daniel Cormier.
Daniel Cormier comforts Francis Ngannou after similar tragedy (Source: IMAGO)
Former UFC heavyweight champions Daniel Cormier and Francis Ngannou both suffered unimaginable tragedies during their run. One of the most likable entities in combat sports, ‘DC’ now counsels Ngannou on how to deal with it all. Ngannou lost his 15-month-old son, Kobe, after a medical emergency in Cameroon.
After the tragic incident, Ngannou contemplated retiring on many occasions. Kamaru Usman and Samuel Eto’o accompanied him back to Cameroon for Kobe’s funeral ceremony. He came back for his equity duties as chair for PFL Africa venture in conjunction with PFL MENA. Francis Ngannou returns in MMA at the PFL ‘Battle of the Giants’: Ngannou vs. Ferreira on October 19th in Riyadh. ‘DC’ has some sage advice to carry on.
Francis [Ngannou] and I had a great conversation. And I told him if there’s any time he wants to speak about trying to… because you have to compartmentalize it, it can’t be at the forefront of your mind when you’re trying to accomplish something great…honestly, man, it’s hard to truly expect the best, when all you’re doing is hurting. Literally you’re hurting every day to even get out of bed. But you know, that you’re trying to build a life…
Daniel ‘DC’ Cormier via the “Pound 4 Pound with Kamaru Usman & Henry Cejudo” Podcast
Cormier, shrouded in grief, spoke about Ngannou’s upcoming fight and anticipated PFL debut. Daniel Cormier, who lost his daughter during his freestyle wrestling career, understands the emotions Francis Ngannou (17-3 MMA, 0-0 PFL, 0-2 boxing) has to work with. He believes ‘Predator’ can put his grief aside and deliver against Renan Ferreira. However, it is a steep hill to go on.
Team Xtreme Couture coach Eric Nicksick recently told MMAFighting for SBN that the fighter is back in camp. But the ordeal has been very morbid and the 38-year-old heavyweight had almost given up hope on all avenues. Francis Ngannou now fights for the memory of his son, channeling the grief into output. A thought Daniel Cormier can accordingly very well relate to.
What all has Daniel ‘DC’ Cormier faced in his rise to top?
The wrestling mat has always been a solace for US Olympian Daniel Cormier to shed aggression for his not-always-easy life. More often than he would like, it has also been a place to vent. The now UFC competition veteran and micsman has had quite a morbid running; something, the likes of Francis Ngannou can take cues from.
Nothing came easy for Cormier, who graduated from Oklahoma State University with a degree in sociology. His father was the victim of a Thanksgiving Day murder in 1986 by his second wife’s father. In 2003, his three-month-old baby girl Kaedyn was killed in an auto crash.
Five years later, while trying to make weight for the 2008 Olympics, Daniel Cormier nearly died of kidney failure and other debilitating clinical setbacks. Cormier’s mother, Audrey, passed away in February 2022; something he is still sentimental about.
However, the Team AKA (American Kickboxing Academy) standout never gave up. Adversity didn’t stop him from going to the Olympics – he used it to get motivated. The double-division UFC/StrikeForce HWY Grand Prix Champ made it big in his tenure. A World bronze medalist, a World Cup runner-up, and a 2003 Pan American Games gold medalist — ‘DC’ still holds his fame as a two-time NJCAA champ/NCAA Division I national finalist.
In non-Olympic years, Cormier finished in the top five at the 2003 and 2007 World Wrestling Finals. His all-time rivalry with G.OA.T. Jon Jones is sure to make it to some HOF Wing someday. All in all, he has been a reckoning for ages.
Dibaas.M
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