PFL Heavyweight Title Bout: Francis Ngannou beats Renan Ferreira

Cameroonian boxer, Francis Ngannou wrapped up a great PFL fight night with an incredible demolition of Ferreira and claimed the super fight heavyweight title, nearly three years after his last MMA fight.

Emotion spilled out of him after the fight as he paid a moving tribute to his son Kobe, who died aged just 15 months in April 2024.

It’s not clear where Ngannou goes next, he is likely to fight on, whether in MMA or boxing, but he said he would take some time to process how he feels after this fight.

If he does fight on in MMA, there are no obvious PFL contenders at the moment, given that he has just smashed through the 2023 heavyweight champion.

Ngannou says his next move in combat sports depends on how he feels going forward. Ahead of the fight, he told Al Jazeera that this could be his last fight after his devastating loss, but it sounds like he wants to continue.

"I always thought I still have a lot to give in combat sports and hopefully, I will keep thinking that way and keep that thought alive,” he said.

Emotion was pouring out of Ngannou as he talked about his son who died from an undiagnosed brain malformation in April 2024, and how hard the build-up to the fight was.

“It was tough, not only was the training camp tough, but the past two days were very tough, full of emotion. I couldn’t do anything without thinking of [Kobe]. I tried to be strong, I told myself everything to keep moving, but it’s hard, it’s so hard,” he said.

He said he wasn’t worried about the near three-year layoff from MMA.

“As soon as I walked in the gym for MMA, I knew that everything was still there, it was just about me being able to manage my emotions and deal with life,” he said.

He thanked his team and family for supporting him to attain his goal.