“The greatest glory in living lies not never in falling, but rising every time we fall”. If anyone wishes to see the personification of this epic Nelson Mandela quote, then they should look no further than Francis Ngannou. As if gracing the octagon and fighting with every ounce of strength and will wasn’t grueling enough, the Cameroonian MMA ace has taken even harder bumps outside the cage.

The sabotaging pain of a hammer fist can be rectified in a fortnight but the loss of a child? No one can ever really recover from it. For the unversed, Ngannou lost his 15-month-old son Kobe due to undetected brain complications but still gathered himself to clash against Renan Ferreira under the PFL banner last night. And with his son’s memory as his power, Ngannou registered a dominating win in the first round via knockout.

Much like ‘The Predator’, former dual-division Daniel Cormier has also experienced unimaginable sorrow in his life and at a time when his MMA journey hadn’t even begun. This sentiment was echoed by American MMA star Phillip Rowe who paid a heartfelt tribute to the ex-UFC star.

Philip Rowe reminisces Daniel Cormier’s loss and how the legend faced it head-on

Following his victory over Renan Ferreira, Francis Ngannou tearfully dedicated the win to his late son, Kobe. The emotional moment touched many viewers, including UFC welterweight fighter Philip Rowe. He shared a story on Instagram about Daniel Cormier, who had also experienced a similar personal tragedy and persevered in his fighting career. Upon seeing the post, Cormier shared it on his own story, adding his thoughts and reflections.

The post described DC’s hardships and stated, “Ngannou’s story reminds me of this guy. Lost his baby daughter in a car accident, his father was murdered, and his best friend and cousin died in a car accident. While his college roommate died in a plane crash.” Cormier still persevered through the mental agony and is now perhaps one of the greatest MMA stars of all time. Rowe acknowledged DC’s fight through life and wrote on his Instagram story, “dc_mma a legend. Been through sh*t that most would crumble from! To become a world champion of two divisions simultaneously.”

DC’s career was marked by resilience, despite facing numerous setbacks. He endured the tragic loss of his daughter during his freestyle wrestling career, which he later acknowledged in response to Ngannou’s emotional victory. Cormier’s journey of adversity began at a young age when his father was murdered on Thanksgiving Day in 1986.

As he grew older, he continued to face heartbreaking losses, including the deaths of his cousin and a friend in separate accidents. And now, DC’s experience has allowed him to offer support and guidance to Ngannou during his time of grief. 

Daniel Cormier’s emotional support to Francis Ngannou

In a recent appearance on the Pound 4 Pound podcast, Cormier spoke about Ngannou’s upcoming fight while wrapped in despair. “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,” Cormier said.

Cormier shared his experience of losing his daughter during his preparation for the World Championships. He described the overwhelming grief that consumed him daily and the support he received from a sports psychologist at the Olympic Training Center. Cormier advised Ngannou to seek similar guidance. In addition to his daughter, Cormier has also lost other loved ones, including his mother, Audrey Cormier.

On the anniversary of his mother’s passing, DC shared a heartfelt message for her on Instagram. “We lost you a year ago today Momma, I think about you constantly and I’ll never stop missing you. Rest in heaven Momma #audreycormier #mymomma.”

DC truly is the epitome of strength and teaches many other veterans and fans how to hold on when everything is shrouded in the dark. Are you inspired by his story and did this find you at the right time? Tell us in the comments below.