Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou made his Skilled Fighters League (PFL) debut final weekend in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. “The Predator” took on Renan Ferreira within the combat card’s essential occasion and scored a first-round knockout.
Ngannou completely timed a takedown try, ducking below a punch from Ferreira and placing the Brazilian on his again. He maintained place, fended off a triangle choke try and delivered left palms till Ferreira was faraway from consciousness.
Following the combat, present UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones had nothing however praises for the newly topped PFL Tremendous Fights Heavyweight Champion.
“What a tremendous job Francis did tonight, displayed a whole MMA sport. Nice kicks, nice takedowns. It feels good to see him shine. Wow congratulations Champ, I see you,” Jones wrote on X.
Ngannou reacted to Jones’ ‘elegant’ response throughout an interview with Ariel Helwani on Monday.
“Yeah, I noticed that. I noticed his tweet,” Ngannou mentioned. “No matter he means, I believe it is class. He mentioned it in a really good method. I see him too, and I will be watching him on November sixteenth.”
In response to his put up praising Ngannou, a fan commented, “He’d (Ngannou) would smoke you.” Jones replied, “Certain, everybody beats me up till they’re in there with me.” Ngannou did not take offense to Jones’ reply to the fan and felt it was additionally made with ‘class.’
“That is true. Everybody has to consider. Everybody that is fought him has believed. Everybody that is stepped within the octagon believed that there is going to be this opening,” Ngannou mentioned. “That wasn’t directed to me. I do know Jon Jones and I believe that was very elegant in that response as a result of he did not sound like he was mad. He was similar to factual.”
Jones places his heavyweight belt on the road for the primary time within the UFC 309 essential occasion in opposition to former two-time titleholder Stipe Miocic.
Ngannou expects to be again in motion within the second quarter of 2025 however would not know if it will likely be a blended martial arts bout or a boxing match.
