Francis Ngannou returned from over 1,000 days out of action in MMA on Saturday and made a clear statement that he is still the sport's heavyweight king. Ngannou knocked out Renan Ferreira in the first round of their PFL clash to claim the heavyweight superfight champion.
The heavy-handed Ngannou wasn't looking to simply strike his way to victory, using leg kicks to set up a takedown and then patiently advancing position until he could unload a barrage of powerful shots that left Ferreira unconscious while face-down against the cage.
Ngannou was making his long-awaited PFL debut after he left the UFC as heavyweight champion in 2023 amid a contract dispute. Ngannou then signed with PFL but before fighting for the promotion, followed his dream of participating in huge boxing matches. Ngannou was a hair away from an all-time historic upset in his first boxing outing, knocking down Tyson Fury and losing a split decision. His second fight did not go as well, with Ngannou suffering a brutal knockout against Anthony Joshua.
The loss snapped a four-fight winning streak for Ferreira, who had won the 2023 PFL season's heavyweight championship and then knocked out Ryan Bader in a battle of PFL and Bellator heavyweight champions.
Ngannou had not only been out of action because of his boxing dreams, but also because of the tragic death of his 15-month-old son Kobe in April. An emotional Ngannou dedicated the fight to his son after the win.
"I dedicate this fight to [Kobe]," Ngannou said. "I hope they can remember his name because without him, without Kobe, I wouldn't be here tonight. ... It was tough. It's been tough. Not only the training camp was tough but the past two days were tough and filled with emotion. I couldn't do anything without thinking about it. I told myself everything to keep moving but it's just hard."
Ngannou said that he knew he still had his full MMA skillset as soon as he returned to the gym but the real battle was making sure he could manage his emotions in the cage.
"I knew I wouldn't miss a step," Ngannou said. "I wasn't worried about it because as soon as I walked in the gym for MMA, I knew everything was still there. It was just about me being able to manage my emotions. We're here and finally got a result. ... [The takedown] was an option. I'm a mixed martial artist, so that was definitely an option. Not the only alternative but since the opportunity was there, I was here to take everything that came my way and here we are."
Ngannou was non-committal to the next step in his combat sports journey. There are still big fights available in the boxing ring and he could also continue to prove his place as the best heavyweight mixed martial artist on the planet in the PFL ring. What comes next is up to how he feels.
"I think my next move in combat sports all depends on me and how I feel and how I deal with my life right now," Ngannou said. "I still feel like I have a lot to give in combat sports."
CBS Sports was with you the entire way on Saturday bringing you all the results and highlights from PFL Battle of the Giants below.
PFL Battle of the Giants card, results
- Francis Ngannou def. Renan Ferreira via first-round knockout
- Cris Cyborg def. Larissa Pacheco via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46)
- Johnny Eblen (c) def. Fabian Edwards via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47)
- Zafar Mohsen def. Husein Kadimagomaev via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Paul Hughes def. A.J. McKee via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Raufeon Stots def. Marcos Breno via third-round submission (rear naked choke)
