Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou made a stunning debut in the Professional Fighters League (PFL) last weekend, knocking out Renan Ferreira in the main event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The victory crowned Ngannou as the PFL Super Fights Heavyweight Champion, marking a significant milestone in his career.
In the first round of the bout, Ngannou executed a perfectly timed takedown, skillfully ducking under a punch from Ferreira before taking him to the mat. He fended off a triangle choke attempt and unleashed a barrage of left hands, ultimately rendering Ferreira unconscious.
Following Ngannou’s impressive performance, current UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones took to social media to commend him. On X, Jones wrote, “What an amazing job Francis did tonight, displayed a complete MMA game. Great kicks, great takedowns. It feels good to see him shine. Wow, congratulations Champ, I see you.”
Ngannou responded to Jones’ praise during an interview with Ariel Helwani, expressing appreciation for the “classy” nature of Jones’ comments. “Yeah, I saw that. I saw his tweet,” Ngannou remarked. “Whatever he means, I think it’s class. He said it in a very nice way. I see him too, and I’ll be watching him on November 16th.”
When a fan commented on Jones’ post, suggesting that Ngannou would “smoke” him, Jones replied, “Sure, everyone beats me up until they’re in there with me.” Ngannou took no offense to Jones’ retort and viewed it as another example of Jones’ class. “That’s true. Everyone has to believe,” Ngannou said, “Everyone that’s fought him has believed. Everyone who has stepped into the octagon believes that an opening will emerge. That wasn’t directed at me. I know Jon Jones, and I think that was very classy in that response because he didn’t sound like he was mad. He was just being factual.”
Looking ahead, Jones will defend his heavyweight title for the first time at UFC 309 against former two-time champion Stipe Miocic. Meanwhile, Ngannou anticipates returning to the ring in the second quarter of 2025, though he remains undecided about whether it will be a mixed martial arts bout or a boxing match.
Leave a Reply