Francis Ngannou has repeatedly found himself entangled in cruel twists of fate. Back in 2024, ‘The Predator’ lost his son to an undiagnosed brain malformation. This was nothing short of a tragic blow to the former UFC champion, which came right after his dispute with Dana White, which forced him to move out of the Octagon. And in the latest incident of misfortune, he faced another tragedy when he was involved in an accident that claimed the life of 17-year-old Ntsama Brigitte Manuella. Naturally, the internet burst into clouds of sympathy when Ngannou finally released a statement regarding the tragedy.

The accident happened on Easter weekend, when Ngannou was reportedly riding a motorbike in the Omnisports district of Yaounde. The exact details of the accident are yet to be uncovered. But some sources claim that Ngannou’s bike crashed with the girl, while others believe the tragedy happened because of a collision between two automobiles. Nevertheless, the former UFC star rushed the teenager to Yaounde General Hospital and spared no expense to save her. Unfortunately, Manuella couldn’t survive till the completion of the surgeries and succumbed to her injuries. Needless to say, the incident broke her family’s and Ngannou’s hearts.

On 2 May 2025, TMZ Sports succeeded in acquiring some exclusive statements from the former UFC heavyweight champion. The Cameroonian-French mixed martial artist said, “From the very beginning, I have been by the family’s side, offering support, comfort, and deepest condolences during this time. I’ve met with them privately to share in their grief, and I will continue to stand with them every step of the way. I carry their pain with me, and my unwavering thoughts and support remain with them as they face this heartbreaking loss.” 

It didn’t take much time for the Cameroonian fighter’s statement to go viral on the internet. MMA Junkie shared the words on Instagram, and the fighting community took over the comments section to offer a few words of sympathy to Francis Ngannou. Let’s see what the fans had to say. 

Fans sympathize with Francis Ngannou as he mourns the loss of a teenage life

The fighting community was quick to assess the situation and reflect on the series of unfortunate events that plagued Ngannou’s life. One of the fans claimed, “Jesus Francis might have had the hardest year ever bad s— just keeps happening to him.” Another fan placed the blame elsewhere; the word about town is that Ngannou took a leave from the UFC to earn more. The fan reflected on this and wrote, “He might’ve had the worst year I’ve ever seen, more money more problems fr.”

Some expressed their worries for the heavyweight fighter. After all, no father could ever rise through the loss of his child. And Ngannou had recently lost his 15-month-old son. Being involved in an accident that claimed the life of a minor seemed to have amplified the heavyweight’s grief. A worried fan weighed in on this and commented, “Hope he is ok too, this has to be a big weight on his mind, especially with the recent loss of his son.” Another fan added, “Poor Francis can’t catch a break… First it was his baby boy passing away and now this.” A few fans seemed to believe that there was some demonic influence that shrouded Ngannou’s life. One such comment read, “Man it feels like him choosing those millions from boxing had some demonic s— tied to it because ever since then he can’t catch a break.”

Meanwhile, a few fans believed that there should be a movie about the life of ‘The Predator’. According to them, the tragedies that Ngannou has to overcome make him one of the most inspiring entities in the sporting world. One fan wrote, “I hope they make a movie about his life one day because when you look up all the crazy things this guy has been through, it’s honestly unbelievable. If it’s true that it was his fault, I hope he does right by the family.” Another fan added to the notion and commented, “They need to make a movie about this man’s life he has been through everything imaginable.

It has indeed been a cruel time for Francis Ngannou. As the fighting community continues to rally around him in support, they only hope that he heals and emerges stronger from his trials.