Emotional Francis Ngannou wins PFL title; says fight was for son

Francis Ngannou’s life is ripe for a Hollywood blockbuster film and the latest entry will certainly be his most heartfelt.

The former UFC heavyweight champion returned to action following the heartbreaking loss of his 15-month-old son and violently dispatched of Renan Ferreira in the main event Saturday of PFL: Battle of the Giants in Saudi Arabia.

Ngannou hadn’t competed in MMA in nearly three years and took a detour into boxing. But few knew if the French Cameroonian still had the desire to compete after his son passed from an unexpected fatal malformation on his brain in April. Instead of fighting for money or world titles, Ngannou stepped into the cage in memory of his son and proved why he is still the best heavyweight in the world.

“I can’t think about anything other than my son, Kobe,” an emotional Ngannou said. “I took this fight for him. Without Kobe, I wouldn’t be here fighting. Please remember my son’s name.”

Ngannou said it’s been a tough process managing his emotions in preparation for his return to the cage. 

“I tried to tell myself to be strong and keep moving but it was very hard,” he said. “But I didn’t miss a step. I wasn’t worried about it. As soon as I walked in the gym for MMA, everything was still in me. I just had to manage my emotions and deal with life.”

There were plenty of questions surrounding Ngannou’s return. Did he still have the desire to compete? Had boxing soured his taste for MMA? The 2023 PFL heavyweight champion proved to be no massive test and Ngannou passed with flying colors. Ngannou’s return to championship form reminded everyone why he was regarded as the “Baddest Man on the Planet” by UFC CEO Dana White before he left the MMA promotion in 2023.

The two titans met in the center of the SmartCage and drilled each other with leg kicks until, surprisingly, Ngannou successfully scored a takedown. Ferreria attempted a triangle choke, but Ngannou escaped and unleashed a violent barrage of punches that bounced the Brazilian’s head off of the canvas. Referee Dan Miragliotta could have stopped the fight sooner but stepped in when Ferreria’s body went limp from the punishment.

It only took 3 minutes and 32 seconds to get the job done and now Ngannou will weigh his options regarding his future in MMA

“My next move in combat sports depends on how I feel and deal with my life right now,” he said. “I always thought I still had a lot to give and hopefully I keep thinking that way.”

In the co-main event, Cris Cyborg (28-2) won a unanimous decision over Larissa Pacheco (23-5) to add the PFL Women’s Featherweight Superfight Champion to her collection of world championships.

Although all three judges scored the fight in favor of the current Bellator Women’s Featherweight Champion at 49-46, 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 scramble, Cyborg landed a head kick that may have taken any other fighter off their feet, but Pacheco walked right through it. It was an indicator that the 2022 and 2023 tournament winner would not fold from Cyborg’s vaunted power.

Amid the takedowns, Pacheco managed to open cuts over both of Cyborg’s eyes. By the end of Round 2, the pendulum swung in favor of the younger opponent. Pacheco, 30, beckoned for Cyborg to meet her in the center of the SmartCage for a firefight in Round 3, but Cyborg declined and opted to keep things tactical. Midway through the round, Pacheco caught a Cyborg kick and deposited her to 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 pick her spots with short bursts of offense and a late takedown to secure the round and win.

The striking was nearly identical with Cyborg landing 145 significant strikes to Pacheco’s 133. However, the difference was in the takedown department where Cyborg secured four of five takedowns.

With the victory, Cyborg has now been a world champion in four major MMA promotions: PFL, Strikeforce, Bellator and the UFC.

Johnny Eblen (16-0) put on a wrestling clinic to retain his Bellator middleweight championship by winning a unanimous decision against Fabian Edwards in another match Saturday.

The fight was a rematch of their September 2023 meeting, when Eblen stopped Edwards (13-4) in the third round. There wouldn’t be a definitive finish in the rematch, however. Instead, Eblen used his smothering wrestling offense to stifle Edwards’ striking and had to endure a late surge from the Brit to hang on to his 185-pound title.

Eblen was in control for much of the fight with a mixture of punches, kicks and clinch work for takedowns. He admittedly gassed out in the second half of the fight and had to ward off Edwards’ assault of elbows. All three judges scored the fight 48-47.