for his return, Francis Ngannou wins by KO against Renan Ferreira in the first round

The Franco-Cameroonian won the “Superfight” championship belt of his new organization (PFL) on Saturday against the Brazilian in three minutes of combat.

Almost three years after his last MMA fight, heavyweight star Francis Ngannou only needed 3 min 32 seconds to outclass Brazilian Renan Ferreira on Saturday October 19 in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), where he was making his return to the cage, under the banner of the PFL (Professional Fighters League which is an American mixed martial arts league).

Very moved, Ngannou immediately dedicated his victory to his son, who died last April at the age of 15 months. “I can’t think of anything other than my son Kobe. I wanted to fight for him. I’m glad I did this for my son. I hope his name is remembered because without he wouldn’t be here today”, he declared with tears in his eyes and sobs in his voice. The Franco-Cameroonian, who left the UFC last year with a bang, thus won the “Superfight” championship belt of his new organization.

The fight was shrouded in uncertainty, with Ngannou having been away from the cages for almost three years. He also suffered two defeats in English boxing, including one by a monumental knockout against Anthony Joshua. For his PFL debut, the Cameroonian champion did not look for ease as he challenged Renan Ferreira, a 2.03 m mountain of muscles weighing 118.6 kilos, the reigning PFL heavyweight champion. But at 38 years old, he proves to the world of MMA that he remains the “Predator”. The former UFC heavyweight king also left on bad terms with Dana White’s all-powerful league and joined competing organization PFL last year, a transfer that had the effect of a bombshell in the world of mixed martial arts.

“It’s done, I did what I came to do and now I have to return to my reality,” Ngannou then declared at a press conference. In reference to the loss of his son, he added: “I lost the most beautiful belt, which I will never get back.” For the future, Ngannou repeated his desire to face Jon Jones, who holds the UFC heavyweight belt, a fight particularly hoped for by fans. “I’ve been asking for this fight for four years or a little more. If I had only one fight to make and I had to choose, it would be this one.” he explained.