Francis Ngannou scored an impressive first-round knockout victory over Renan Ferreira in his return to MMA at the PFL’s Battle of the Giants event.
After months of preparation and anticipation for Ngannou’s return to MMA, the two heavyweights finally met inside the SmartCage in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday.
And it didn’t take long for Ngannou to remind fight fans of his impressive MMA skills when he dispatched his Brazilian counterpart in the first round.
After a testing first minute, the Cameroonian managed to bring down the ball and battled Ferreira before establishing control on the ground.
It didn’t take long for the heavyweight star to start landing big punches on Ferreira, who had no response and, within three minutes and 32 seconds, the fight was called.
Francis Ngannou marked his return to MMA with a resounding victory in the PFL Battle of the Giants
Ngannou (left) scored an impressive knockout victory over Renan Ferreira (right) on Saturday.
After scoring a takedown, Ngannou landed brutal blows before the fight was called off.
‘The Predator’ cut an emotional figure after the fight before dedicating the victory to his late son Kobe.
It was an emotional occasion for the former UFC heavyweight champion, who dedicated the fight, both in the build-up and afterwards, to his late son Kobe.
Speaking after the fight, he said: “I can’t think of anything but my son Kobe.” I only took this fight for him.
‘I went to fight for him. I hope you can remember his name because without Kobe we wouldn’t be here tonight. I wouldn’t have fought.
The stars were in Saudi Arabia to see the Cameroonian claim the heavyweight crown, with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mane in attendance on the night.
Portuguese superstar Ronaldo has developed a close relationship with Ngannou, having met him on multiple occasions for the heavyweight fighter’s bouts.
Ngannou made his long-awaited return to the cage after more than two years away from the sport.
Ngannou was away from the cage for a while to venture into boxing but he returned in a brutal way
Ferreira had been on a four-fight winning streak before facing Ngannou.
An emotional Ngannou admitted that he “only took this fight” in honor of his late son.
Since his last MMA fight, the 38-year-old embarked on a journey that saw him briefly foray into boxing and sign with rival UFC promotion; the PFL.
Over the past year, he has faced British stars Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua inside the ring, narrowly losing to the ‘Gypsy King’ before suffering a brutal KO to AJ.
However, that was not enough to dissuade him from returning to the cage and debuting with the PFL, with whom he signed in May 2023.
His arrival in the PFL came after an unceremonious departure from the UFC, where the then-heavyweight champion failed to come to terms on a new deal with the promotion.
It turned out to be a smart move for Ngannou, who has since reportedly racked up approximately £23 million ($30 million) before returning to the MMA cage.
Ferreira, on the other hand, arrived on the PFL Super Fight stage after dominating the heavyweight division and being crowned 2023 champion.
Ngannou was returning to MMA after boxing fights against Anthony Joshua (pictured, left) and Tyson Fury over the past year.
In the evening’s co-main event, Cris Cyborg (pictured) put on a dominant display to defeat Larissa Pacheco and capture the women’s featherweight world title.
Soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo was among the celebrities in attendance that night.
The 6-foot-8 Brazilian, as of early 2023, has won his last four fights by knockout, with his two most recent fights lasting a total of just 47 seconds.
Earlier in the night, Dagestani fighter Ibragim Ibragimov extended his undefeated record with a dominant performance over Nacho Campos on the undercard.
Ibragimov, who comes from a family of athletes with three brothers playing for Manchester United, showed off his impressive fight to secure a unanimous decision victory over his Spanish counterpart.
Meanwhile, elsewhere on the main card, Paul Hughes announced himself on the big stage after a split decision victory over AJ McKee. ‘Big News’ put on an emphatic display to triumph over one of the PFL’s most formidable fighters.
In the evening’s co-main event, Cris Cyborg put on a dominant display to defeat Larissa Pacheco and capture the women’s featherweight world title.
In doing so, the Brazilian completed an incredible Grand Slam of MMA titles, having been champion in PFL, Bellator, UFC, Invicta and Strikeforce.
