PFL’s new ‘Super Fights Heavyweight Champion’ is Francis Ngannou after he dispatched Renan Ferreira by KO in the very first round this past Saturday. It was Ngannou’s first MMA fight for over two-and-a-half years so he could have been forgiven for displaying signs of ring rust, however it was non-apparent at the ‘Battle of the Giants’ event in Saudi Arabia.
After taking Ferreira to the canvas not long into the fight, Ngannou reined down numerous, thunderous strikes before the referee stepped in to end the fight. ‘The Predator’ told Ariel Helwani that he feels great physically following the fight, but mentally he’s exhausted:
”It’s been a long process. Sometimes during the training camp, I felt like life was just tasteless, you know? And then you feel the sadness, whether in my room or wherever, and you just feel it, it’s there, and you can’t control it.”
Ngannou could have been forgiven for not wanting to fight for some time following the loss of his son just six months ago, or even if he hung up the gloves completely. He wanted to get back in the cage in honour of his late son. He explained that it was difficult to prepare for his match with Ferreira as he wasn’t in the right ‘zone’ for periods throughout the training camp. Preparations were far from ideal and although Ngannou thinks he will fight again, he doesn’t envisage it being soon as he needs to take some time for himself to process the last few months.
Q3 or Q4 next year is when Ngannou says he expects to be back fighting again, and he doesn’t have a preference whether it’s an MMA or boxing bout. Options will be aplenty no doubt, especially as Ngannou confirmed that he will box again at some point in the future.
Most fans of MMA will have seen the pictures of Cristiano Ronaldo backstage with Ngannou and his coach, Eric Nicksick ahead of the fight this past Saturday. Ronaldo and Ngannou have built up a friendship over the last couple of years and ‘The Predator’ gave some insight into what the pair discussed:
”He (Cristiano Ronaldo) also dealt with a similar situation with his newborn that he lost. He was busy but said that he needed to come (to the fight) to show support because he understands what I’m going through, even though the situation is a little different” – Ngannou told the Ariel Helwani Show.
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