(Video) Francis Ngannou puts on punishing performance, breaks down with emotions after win over Renan Ferreira

PFL's Francis Ngannou clobbers Renan Ferreira with vicious ground-and-pound R1 KO during ‘Battle of the Giants’ (DAZN/ESPN+) PPV; breaks down in Kobe's memory after win.

(Video) Francis Ngannou puts on punishing performance, breaks down with emotions after win over Renan Ferreira

PFL Results: Francis Ngannou demolishes Renan Ferreira in Round 1, breaks down after win (Source: IMAGO/X)

Francis Ngannou finally made his long-awaited return to MMA against Renan Ferreira. The Brazilian earned his spot for the PFL Super Fight with three wins in 2023 and a finish over Ryan Bader earlier this year. The two headlined the pay-per-view headliner in tonight’s PFL: ‘Battle of the Giants’ (DAZN/ESPN+) at The Mayadeen in Riyadh.

There was serious attention to whether or not this would be a grinding performance on Ngannou’s legacy comeback. No fighter has ever finished ‘The Predator’ by strikes under MMA rules. However, Renan ‘Problema’ Ferreira posed his own set of problems with 11 of his 13 pro victories by KO/TKO. The Brazilian fighter starching Bellator heavyweight Ryan Bader in under a minute made him the top star.

YouTube video

So it was a clear challenge to take the space away from the PFL heavyweight tournament crown and a $1 million prize winner. Francis Ngannou put some money in the bag with a hard leg kick and mid-range shots. Ferreira (13-4) responded with his own, studying him at range. Ngannou teed off a hard takedown and went on the mount over the Team Nogueira MMA heavyweight.

FS Video

Ferreira threw up a stylistic triangle choke, but Ngannou shook it out. He even piled the arm for some Kimura attempts but to no avail. Ngannou would soon posture up and start raining a barrage of punches until Ferreira gave his back; Ngannou loaded more and more punches. Ngannou pummeling Renan Ferreira unconsciousness via KO (punches) – 3:32 into R1 has gotten many viral responses.

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Fight fans react to Francis Ngannou’s first-frame win and emotional breakdown

Francis ‘The Predator’ Ngannou stepped into the steep curve of MMA after almost three years. But he didn’t seem to have missed a step. Well into the media promos for PFL: ‘Battle of the Giants’, Ngannou said he knew the challenges the towering 6’8″, 85″ reach ‘Probelma’ posed. However, every problem has a solution, and he proved it for Renan Ferreira.

Fans react to Francis Ngannou's ‘Battle of the Giants’ win
Fans react to Francis Ngannou’s ‘Battle of the Giants’ win (Source: X/agfight.com)

The 38-year-old from Cameroon spiked his submission attempt and unloaded a vicious ground-and-pound to win the PFL Battle of the Giants Super Fight gold. However, it was his post-fight demeanor that caught the eye even more. This year, Ngannou faced the tragic death of his 15-month-old son, Kobe.

Holding it in for so long, the fighter broke down, crouching against the PFL Smart cage. After recovering, even the not-so-long-ago unconsciousness, Ferreira felt prompted to touch gloves and sign some consolation. Here are a few top reactions to it:

Francis Ngannou’s sudden sharp takedown subsequently was quite a switch-up. But it was his wild left wings to the back of the noggin that got the job done. The fans have accordingly lauded the return of the 265-pound king who finished the challenger with crass intentions and just sat, breaking down.

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Overall, it’s a good day with Ngannou keeping his resolve about doing this for Kobe. He will chair the PFL Africa Regional League in 2025 in his memory. The only loss comes to detractor Conor McGregor, who put around $500,000 reasons to pick against and possibly UFC CEO Dana White. If Ferreira beat the odds, the bet would’ve paid out $1,675,000. Now, it sees the return of the MMA king with his crown.