A road accident in Yaoundé over the Easter weekend has drawn Cameroon’s most famous combat-sports export into a police investigation after 17-year-old Ntsama Brigitte Manuella died during surgery. Local outlet Cameroon Online reports that either Francis Ngannou’s car struck a motorcycle carrying the teenager or, according to rival accounts, Ngannou himself was riding a motorbike that hit her.
Whistle-blower group N’Zui Manto first flagged the incident; follow-up pieces in Cameroon Concord and 237online say Ngannou transported Manuella to hospital and covered medical bills before she underwent an operation for arm and leg fractures. She never regained consciousness and Cameroon’s gendarmerie has opened an inquiry while Ngannou’s camp has yet to issue a public statement.
The 38-year-old heavyweight, lauded for a rise from sand-mine labourer to UFC champion, has endured personal tragedy before: his 15-month-old son Kobe died in April 2024. Professionally he left the UFC in 2023, boxed Tyson Fury to a split-decision loss, was knocked out by Anthony Joshua in March 2024, then returned to MMA with a first-round stoppage of Renan Ferreira last October in the PFL.
Cameroonian media note public pressure for clarity, given Ngannou’s stature and the conflicting crash narratives. Authorities have not indicated criminal charges, but their findings will determine whether the episode remains a tragic accident or escalates into a legal battle for one of sport’s most recognisable heavyweights.
Learn more about Francis here.
Image Credit: Getty Images