Frances Ngannou’s career is ripe for a Hollywood blockbuster and the latest entry is sure to be her most heartfelt yet.
The former UFC heavyweight champion returned to action following the heartbreaking loss of his 15-month-old son and violently dispatched Renan Ferreira in the main event of Saturday’s PFL: Battle of the Giants in Saudi Arabia.
Ngannou hasn’t competed in MMA for nearly three years and has taken a detour into boxing. But few know if the French Cameroonian still has the will to compete after his son unexpectedly passed away from his fatal brain defect in April. Instead of fighting for money or world titles, Nagano stepped into the cage in honor of his son and proved why he is the best heavyweight in the world.
“I can’t think about anything but my son Gobi,” said an emotional Nagano. “I took this fight for him. I wouldn’t be fighting here if it wasn’t for Kobe. Please remember my son’s name.”
Nagano said managing his emotions in preparation for his return to the cage was a difficult process.
“I tried to tell myself to stay strong and keep moving, but it was really hard,” she said. “But I didn’t miss a step. I didn’t worry about it. Once I walked into the gym for MMA, everything was still in me. I had to deal with my emotions and deal with life.”
Francis! Francis! Francis!
All the heavyweights are on notice!#PFLSuperFights | #BraceForImpact pic.twitter.com/llttkZGxpr— PFL (@PFLMMA) October 19, 2024
There were plenty of questions surrounding Ngannou’s return. Did he still have the desire to compete? Has boxing spoiled his taste for MMA? The 2023 PFL heavyweight champion proved no big test and Ngannou passed with flying colors. Ngannou’s return to championship form reminded everyone why he was considered the “baddest man on the planet” by UFC CEO Dana White before the MMA promotion in 2023.
The two titans met in the center of the Smartcage, peppering each other with leg kicks, and surprisingly, Nagano successfully scored a takedown. Ferreira attempted a triangle choke, but Nagano escaped and unleashed a barrage of violence that bounced the Brazilian’s head off the canvas. Referee Dan Miragliotta could have stopped the fight sooner, but stepped in when Ferreria’s body was reeling from the punishment.
It took just 3 minutes and 32 seconds to complete the job, and now Ngannou will weigh his options regarding his future in MMA.
“My next move in combat sports depends on how I feel right now and how I face my life,” he said. “I always thought I had more to give, and I’m thinking the same thing.”
In the co-main event, Cris Cyborg (28-2) defeated Larisa Pacheco (23-5) by unanimous decision to add the PFL women’s featherweight superfight title to her collection of world championships.
Although all three judges scored the fight 49-46 in favor of the reigning Bellator women’s featherweight champion, the fight was much closer than the scores indicated.
Cyborg, 39, started strong and surprised Pacheco by mixing takedowns with her striking. During a brief fight, Cyborg landed a head kick that would have taken any other fighter off their feet, but Pacheco walked through it. This was an indication that the winner of the 2022 and 2023 contests would not succumb to the proud power of Cyborg.
Amidst the takedowns, Pacheco managed to open cuts over both of Cyborg’s eyes. At the end of Round 2, the pendulum swung in favor of the younger opponent. Pacheco, 30, invited Cyborg to meet her in the center of the SmartCage for a shootout in Round 3. Midway through the round, Pacheco caught the Cyborg Kick and deposited her on the canvas with a right hand.
The two took turns exchanging heavy strikes in Round 4, but Cyborg used her experience in the final round to land her spots with short bursts and late takedowns to clinch the round and win.
Cyborg landed 145 striking strikes to match Pacheco’s 133. However, the difference was in the takedown department where Cyborg got four of the five takedowns.
With the win, Cyborg is now the world champion in four major MMA promotions: PFL, Strikeforce, Bellator and UFC.
Johnny Eblen (16-0) put on a wrestling clinic in Saturday’s other bout with a unanimous decision against Fabian Edwards to retain his Bellator middleweight championship.
The fight was a rematch of their September 2023 meeting when Eblen stopped Edwards (13-4) in the third round. However, there will be no definitive result in the rematch. Instead, Eblen used his suffocating wrestling offense to block Edwards’ striking and had to withstand a late surge by the Briton to hang on to his 185-pound title.
Eblen was in control for most of the fight with a combination of punches, kicks and clinch work for takedowns. He admitted to running out of gas in the second half of the fight and had to fend off an onslaught of Edwards’ elbows. All three judges scored the fight 48-47.
