Exclusive: "Heartbroken" Eric Nicksick gets emotional about Francis Ngannou's tragedy, details why he couldn't be present for funeral

Xtreme Couture head coach Eric Nicksick recently shared his thoughts on the heartbreaking tragedy that befell Francis Ngannou late last month. The former UFC heavyweight champion announced that his 15-month-old son, Kobe Ngannou, had tragically passed away just three months after his first birthday.

In an exclusive interview with James Lynch for Sportskeeda MMA, Nicksick opened up about Ngannou's heartwrenching loss and expressed his earnest desire to visit his student as soon as possible. He said:

"It's heartbreaking. It's tough for me to even talk about it. I just want to be there for my guy and I want to get out there as soon as I can just to give him a hug. It's tough to even talk about. I'm heartbroken for him. No parents should have to go through what he's going through right now." [0:31 mark onwards]

Later in the interview, Nicksick touched upon the subject of the little boy's funeral and explained why he couldn't attend the ceremony in Cameroon. The veteran coach outlined how his plans to stand beside Ngannou during the funeral were dashed due to severe time constraints and international travel rules. He said:

"I'm not going to be able to go at the moment. The problem was, to be granted an emergency visa, it had to be during the time of the funeral. Then I had to get vaccinated, I had to get malaria, yellow fever... I had to get all these shots."

Nicksick continued:

"By the time I got my vaccinations and all these shots, I had a 24-hour window to get all this done and the emergency visa granted and get on the plane and get out there for the funeral. So, I might have to push it to later on in May or sometime in June." [10:35 mark onwards]

Watch Erick Nicksick's Sportskeeda MMA exclusive interview below:

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Francis Ngannou releases official statement mourning the loss of his baby boy

As mentioned above, life gave Francis Ngannou one of the toughest tests he'll ever face last month after tragically snatching the apple of his eye away from him. Ngannou is among the most well-known athletes in the world today, and his rags-to-riches success story is a testament to his grit and tenacity.

Three days after the loss of his 15-month-old son, Ngannou took to social media and penned an emotional note announcing the heartbreaking news. The Cameroonian rightfully accused life of being unfair and wrote in an X post:

"01/13/2023 - 04/27/2024. Too soon to leave but yet he's gone. My little boy, my mate, my partner Kobe was full of life and joy. Now, he's laying without life. I shouted his name over and over but he's not responding. I was my best self next to him and now I have no [clue] of who I am. Life is so unfair to hit us where it hurts the most. How do you deal with such a thing?"