Francis Ngannou just scored one of the biggest wins of his MMA career and, more likely, the most significant victory any Professional Fighters League fighter has had under their banner.
In the main event of the PFL Super Fights PPV, Ngannou scored a first-round TKO victory over Renan Ferreira to leave no doubt who the No. 1 heavyweight in the organization is and to also stake a legitimate claim to still being the baddest man in the world.
Here is a look at the finish.
MMA Orbit posted this alternative angle of the finish, which drives home the savagery.
MMA X exploded with appreciation and reactions to Ngannou’s definitive victory.
Uncrowned’s Ariel Helwani and his crew said the post-fight interview with Ngannou looked like a movie.
Here is a look at the interview. Ngannou paid tribute to his late son, Kobe, who tragically passed away earlier this year.
Parry Punch posted this sweet but gut-wrenching photo of Ngannou and his son Kobe.
ACD MMA chimed in with fresh memes to call out Ngannou’s opponents’ potential shock at his wrestling ability.
ESPN MMA pulled together a graphic that puts Ngannou’s combat sports journey in 2024 into perspective.
Ngannou’s win supports the PFL’s claim that he is the lineal heavyweight champion in MMA. That’s a distinction that no other fighter in the PFL can claim in any division.
Ngannou left the UFC as their champion in 2022. He wanted the freedom to pursue boxing, but the promotion didn’t want to give him that option.
The 38-year-old bet on himself, and he won. The PFL also cashes in literally and figuratively. Ngannou’s win was the biggest combat sports story of the weekend, and the organization gained validation for signing him away from the UFC.
In addition to Ngannou’s win, the evening also saw another free-agent-signing, Paul Hughes, pass a huge test with a split-decision win over AJ McKie.
This was an overall massive night for Ngannou and the PFL. It is unclear when Ngannou will return to the PFL Smart Cage or if his next combat sports outing will be in boxing, but after two losses in the sweet science, he has established himself.
Here is a look at all of the results from Saturday.
- Francis Ngannou defeats Renan Ferreira via first-round KO
- Cris Cyborg defeats Larissa Pacheco via unanimous decision (49-46×3)
- Johnny Eblen defeats Fabian Edwards via unanimous decision (48-47×3)
- Zafar Mohsen defeats Husein Kadimagomaev via unanimous decision (30-27×3)
- Paul Hughes defeats AJ McKie via split decision (29-28×2, 28-29)
