Francis Ngannou has spoken publicly about the tragic loss of his baby son for the first time.
In April, the former UFC heavyweight champion was inundated with supportive messages from the MMA community after confirming the death of his 15-month son, Kobe, on social media.
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Ngannou subsequently stepped away from the spotlight to mourn with his family.
On Tuesday, the Cameroonian KO artist appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience.
Ngannou told a heartbreaking story about the last time he saw his child.
He said: “The last time I saw him was me leaving Cameroon, going to the elevator, and he was with my little brother, and he didn’t want me to go because he became my buddy.
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“So much that even when I’m around he doesn’t want me to leave him alone.
“I can take him whenever, wherever I go, he might not eat, he doesn’t care, as long as he was with me That was it, he was my mate.
"Then you start thinking about all those little things that you guys have, just you and him, then it’s over. Then it’s over.
“The day that I was leaving he was crying like he wanted me to go with him, but I kept going I’m going to be back, I have no clue that that was it.
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“I should have gone back one more time. Spend one more day, hug him one more time.
The man who fought Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua in his first two professional boxing bouts says that Kobe’s passing has changed how he thinks about death.
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Ngannou added: “You have things to be grateful about, but in your heart, you feel like you are broken, you have nothing. Nothing is worth it.”
"I always love life and know that I have everything from society.
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I’m like, ‘At least whenever I die, I can go and see my kid'.
"I'm not afraid of it. I still want to live, but you get to that point, to think like that, [in] some way you're looking forward for whenever that happens."