Published On 20 Oct 2024
Cameroon’s Francis Ngannou made a victorious return to combined martial arts by knocking out Renan Ferreria in the veryfirst round of their heavyweight clash at the Professional Fighters League (PFL) occasion called “Battle Of The Giants” in the early hours of Sunday earlymorning.
After some early heavy kicks from both fighters, Ngannou, who had not battled in blended martial arts because January 2022, took the battle to the mat and ultimately got behind his Brazilian challenger, landing a series of bludgeoning punches to end the battle with 88 seconds left in the veryfirst round.
A tearful Ngannou then devoted his success to the memory of his 15-month-old kid Kobe, who passedaway in April.
“I just did this battle since of him. I desired to battle for him … I hope they can keepinmind his name, since without Kobe, we wouldn’t be here thisevening,” he stated in a post-fight interview in the cage.
The occasion broke with the PFL‘s normal format of a routine season and playoffs to put on a series of “super battles” with belts at stake as Ngannou made his return to the sport where he made his name after a venture into the world of boxing.
Ngannou’s increase from youth hardship in Cameroon to the peak of combined martial arts, where he won the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight title in March 2021, made him a extremely popular figure and one of the most popular complimentary representatives in battle sports when his UFC agreement ended.
He went on to take part in profitable boxing matches versus heavyweights Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, both of which he lost, and his finalizing was a big coup for the PFL in its fight to complete with the UFC.
