Francis Ngannou KNOCKS OUT Renan Ferreira at PFL’s Battle of the Giants as ‘the Predator’ produces first round win to become heavyweight champion after two years away from MMA

Francis Ngannou produced a stunning first round knockout victory upon his return to MMA as he took on Renan Ferreira in PFL’s Battle of the Giants main 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 night.

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 the Ferreira before establishing control on the ground.

It didn’t take long for the heavyweight star to begin landing huge shots upon Ferreira and, within three minutes and thirty-two seconds, the bout was waved off. 

The Cameroonian got the job done inside one round after brutal ground and pound on Ferreira

After landing a takedown, Ngannou delivered brutal blows before the bout was waved off 

Ngannou was making his return to MMA after boxing fights against Anthony Joshua (pictured, left) and Tyson Fury over the last year

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.

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 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 as he took on PFL’s 2023 Heavyweight champion Ferreira in Saudi Arabia.

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, the Cameroonian 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 £23m ($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.

The 6’8″ 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 opponents.

In the night’s co-main event, Cris Cyborg put on a dominant display over 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.

More to follow…