Francis Ngannou's Opponent Earned Fight With Fast Knockout

Photo: Francis Ngannou (Instagram)

Renan Ferreira has been waiting all year to fight Francis Ngannou. Standing at 6ft 8in, Ferreira was named Ngannou's opponent for his debut in the Professional Fighters League (PFL) after a stunning 21-second knockout of world champion Ryan Bader in February.

Ferreira, the PFL heavyweight champion, earned his title by knocking out three opponents in 2023 to win the promotion's $1 million tournament. Bader, the Bellator heavyweight champion, couldn't match Ferreira's power. 

Ferreira countered Bader's lazy jab with a powerful overhand right, quickly finishing the fight with a series of punches before the referee stopped the bout.

Photo: Francis Ngannou (Instagram)

After the fight, boxing legend Mike Tyson awarded Ferreira the PFL vs. Bellator belt. Ferreira then called out Ngannou, who stood up but chose not to face off with Ferreira, leaving the arena instead.

Ngannou has not fought in MMA since defending his UFC heavyweight title against Cyril Gane in January 2022. He signed with PFL and paused his MMA career to pursue boxing matches with former world champions Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. 

Now, after pushing Fury to the brink and losing to Joshua, Ngannou is ready to return to MMA to face Ferreira on October 19.

Read Next: Taiwanese Boxer Advances To Gold Medal Fight Amid Gender Controversy

Source: Talk Sports 

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