Francis Ngannou made a strong return to MMA, knocking out Renan Ferreira in the first round at PFL’s Battle of the Giants event in Saudi Arabia. This was Ngannou’s first MMA fight since January 2022, after a stint in boxing with high-profile bouts against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. He signed with the PFL in May 2023 following his departure from the UFC, where he never lost his heavyweight title. Ngannou dominated Ferreira, finishing the 2023 PFL tournament champion on the ground with powerful punches.
Praise poured in from across the combat sports community. Among the loudest voices was Jake Paul, a fellow PFL fighter, who lauded Ngannou as “The real f*cking heavyweight champ.”*
Paul even suggested a potential clash between Ngannou and UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones, which would undoubtedly be a blockbuster event for fans.
Ngannou’s move to the PFL opened up fresh opportunities after his UFC exit. His decision to step into the boxing world before resuming MMA was a bold move, but he impressed with his resilience and skill across both sports. In his boxing venture, he faced Fury and Joshua, testing himself against two of the best in the heavyweight division. Although he didn’t walk away with wins, Ngannou’s foray into boxing was a testament to his belief in himself, making his MMA return even more anticipated.
As he took out Renan Ferreira, check out what fellow fighters head to say!
Pro MMA Fighters React to Francis Ngannou
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
