Cameroon’s Francis Ngannou knocks out Renan Ferreira in MMA return

Cameroon’s Francis Ngannou made a triumphant return to mixed martial arts by knocking retired Renan Ferreria successful the archetypal circular of their heavyweight clash astatine the Professional Fighters League (PFL) lawsuit dubbed “Battle Of The Giants” successful the aboriginal hours of Sunday morning.

After immoderate aboriginal dense kicks from some fighters, Ngannou, who had not fought successful mixed martial arts since January 2022, took the combat to the mat and yet got down his Brazilian opponent, landing a bid of bludgeoning punches to extremity the combat with 88 seconds near successful the archetypal round.

A tearful Ngannou past dedicated his triumph to the representation of his 15-month-old lad Kobe, who died successful April.

“I lone did this combat due to the fact that of him. I wanted to combat for him … I anticipation they tin retrieve his name, due to the fact that without Kobe, we wouldn’t beryllium present tonight,” helium said successful a post-fight interrogation successful the cage.

The lawsuit broke with the PFL‘s accustomed format of a regular play and playoffs to enactment connected a bid of “super fights” with belts astatine involvement arsenic Ngannou made his instrumentality to the athletics wherever helium made his sanction aft a foray into the satellite of boxing.

Ngannou’s emergence from puerility poorness successful Cameroon to the pinnacle of mixed martial arts, wherever helium won the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight rubric successful March 2021, made him a hugely fashionable fig and 1 of the astir sought-after escaped agents successful combat sports erstwhile his UFC declaration expired.

He went connected to instrumentality portion successful lucrative boxing matches against heavyweights Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, some of which helium lost, and his signing was a immense coup for the PFL in its conflict to vie with the UFC.