Francis Ngannou shares four-word reaction after making triumphant return to combat sports in Riyadh

Francis Ngannou returned to MMA with a bang as he made his PFL debut against Renan Ferreira in the main event of Battle of the Giants on Oct.19. It was his first mixed martial arts fight since 2022, with no ring rust apparent as Ngannou secured a swift victory.

After both fighters exchanged several powerful leg kicks in the opening minutes, 'The Predator' shot a well-timed double-leg takedown and began to work his opponent over with ground-and-pound strikes.

Ferreira found himself pressed up against the cage with Ngannou raining down with strikes from a dominant top position. The power of the Cameroonian was on full display as he left his opponent unconscious for several moments, prompting the referee's intervention.

The 38-year old was crowned the lineal MMA heavyweight champion in the same city where he suffered two devastating defeats in two boxing matches against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.

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Following his momentous achievement, he took to X and wrote:

"We did it again!!"

See Francis Ngannou's post below:

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Ngannou continues to defy the odds, as he rose to victory after what was the most testing six-month period of his life. In April, 'The Predator' suffered the loss of his 15-month old son, Kobe, who passed away from undiagnosed medical issues.

Francis Ngannou puts life in perspective after PFL victory

Francis Ngannou's life is straight out of box-office film.

Arguably the most devastating stiker to grace the sport of MMA found himself working in a sand-mine as a child in Cameroon, before he sought refuge overseas as he battled both the elements and the authorities to get to France.

Once he made his way to France, his combat sports career kicked off, but some who made the journey from Cameroon alongside Ngannou were not as lucky as him.

Following his PFL debut, where he secured a KO win over Renan Ferreira, Ngannou appeared in front of the media and said:

"They've been telling me that I'm tough, to the point that I get to believe that I'm tough. And then I recently just found out that I wasn't tough. I wasn't that tough. Life can let you advance, and think that you're running away, and then it hits you really bad from the front."

Catch Francis Ngannou's heartfelt speech below (0:30):

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Liam is a MMA and Boxing writer at Sportskeeda. His journey into MMA journalism began with a high school diploma in 2017, but his passion for writing led him to diverse experiences, including internships in research and writing roles and accounting work.

Liam's fascination with MMA was sparked by Conor McGregor, with Dustin Poirier's bout against Dan Hooker in 2020 sealing his love for the sport. Poirier remains Liam's favorite fighter, whom he admires for his attitude, fighting style, and persona both inside and outside the cage. He is an advocate for the removal of the 12-6 elbow rule in MMA.

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Outside of work, Liam enjoys playing cricket, practising Brazilian jiu-jitsu, cooking, music, and reading.

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Edited by Tejas Rathi