Francis Ngannou made a triumphant return to mixed martial arts (MMA) with a first-round victory over Renan Ferreira at the PFL Super Fights event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday.
It was Ngannou’s first MMA bout since the tragic death of his 18-month-old son, Kobe.
The 38-year-old wasted no time establishing his dominance, landing powerful leg kicks that visibly hurt Ferreira, the 2023 PFL Global League heavyweight champion.
After a brief exchange of punches, Ngannou secured a takedown and unleashed a barrage of ground strikes on Ferreira, who didn’t defend himself.
With Ferreira unable to respond, the referee was forced to stop the fight, awarding Ngannou the victory.
Overcome with emotion, Ngannou crouched by the cage, reflecting on the win and his personal loss.
Ngannou dedicated the victory to his late son, Kobe.
“I can’t think about anything other than my son, Kobe. I only took this fight because of him,” Ngannou said in an emotional post-fight interview.
“I fought for him. I hope people remember his name because without Kobe, I wouldn’t be here tonight.”
Since parting ways with the UFC, Ngannou has ventured into boxing, facing heavyweight champions Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, but his victory in Riyadh marks a significant return to his MMA roots.
