Francis Ngannou produced a stunning first round knockout win over Renan Ferreira upon his return to MMA at PFL’s Battle of the Giants event.
After months of build-up and anticipation for Ngannou’s MMA return, the two heavyweights finally met inside the SmartCage in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday.
And it didn’t take long for Ngannou to remind combat fans of his impressive MMA abilities as he dispatched of his Brazilian counterpart inside the first round.
After a tentative opening minute or so, the Cameroonian successfully shot for a takedown and grappled with Ferreira before establishing control on the ground.
It didn’t take long for the heavyweight star to begin landing huge shots upon Ferreira who had no reply and, within three minutes and 32 seconds, the bout was waved off.
Francis Ngannou marked his return to MMA with an emphatic win at PFL’s Battle of the Giants
Ngannou (left) produced a stunning knockout victory over Renan Ferreira (right) on Saturday
After landing a takedown, Ngannou delivered brutal blows before the bout was waved off
‘The Predator’ cut an emotional figure after fight before dedicating the win to his late son Kobe
It was an emotional occasion for the former UFC heavyweight champion, who dedicated the bout – both in the build-up and afterwards – to his late son Kobe.
Speaking after the bout, he said: ‘I can’t think about anything [other] than my son Kobe. I only took this fight because of him.
‘I went to fight for him. I hope they can remember his name because without Kobe, we wouldn’t be here tonight. I wouldn’t have fought.’
The stars were out in Saudi Arabia to watch 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 over two years away from the sport.
Ngannou had a stint away from the cage to venture into boxing but returned in brutal fashion
Ferreira had been on a four-fight win streak before coming up against Ngannou
An emotional Ngannou admitted he ‘only took this fight’ in honour of his late son
Since his last MMA bout, the 38-year-old embarked on a journey which saw him make brief foray into boxing and sign with the UFC‘s rival promotion; the PFL.
Over the last year, he took on British stars Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua inside the squared circle – narrowly losing to the ‘Gypsy King’ before suffering a brutal KO to AJ.
However, that wasn’t enough to deter him from returning to the cage and making his debut for the PFL – who he signed with back in May 2023.
His arrival at the PFL came after an unceremonious exit from the UFC, where the at-the-time heavyweight champion failed to reach an agreement over a new deal with the promotion.
It proved to be a wise move for Ngannou, who has since accrued roughly £23million ($30m), according to reports, before stepping back inside the MMA cage.
Ferreira, on the other hand, found his way to the the PFL Super Fight stage after dominating the heavyweight division and being crowned the 2023 champion.
Ngannou was making his return to MMA after boxing fights against Anthony Joshua (pictured, left) and Tyson Fury over the last year
In the night’s co-main event, Cris Cyborg (pictured) put on a dominant display to beat Larissa Pacheco to capture the Women’s Featherweight World Title
Football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo was among the celebrities in attendance on the night
The 6ft 8ins Brazilian, since the start of 2023, won his last four fights by way of knockout – with his two most recent fights lasting a total of just 47 seconds.
Earlier in the night, Dagestani fighter Ibragim Ibragimov extended his unbeaten record with a dominant performance over Nacho Campos on the undercard.
Ibragimov – who comes from a family of athletes with three brothers who play for Manchester United – displayed his impressive grappling 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 PFL’s most formidable fighters.
In the night’s co-main event, Cris Cyborg put on a dominant display to beat Larissa Pacheco to 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.
