Israel Adesanya has seen sufficient to guarantee him that Francis Ngannou remains to be the true king of the heavyweight division.
Ngannou made a spectacular PFL debut at Saturday’s Battle of the Giants occasion, needing lower than a spherical to floor Renan Ferreira and knock him out with a sequence of devastating punches. It was the primary MMA combat for Ngannou since he defeated Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 in January 2022.
Although UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones is scheduled to tackle former titleholder Stipe Miocic in a long-awaited combat at UFC 309 on Nov. 16, Adesanya doesn’t agree that the winner of that bout ought to mechanically be granted GOAT standing.
“Hell no [the debate isn’t done],” Adesanya stated in a Battle of the Giants response video. “Stipe is the final one I can bear in mind individuals saying. Nicely, it was Cain [Velasquez] first after which Stipe, after which proper now individuals nonetheless maintain Stipe as the best of all-time within the heavyweight division. However I believe he’s one of many biggest, and he has crushed Francis, however Francis beat him within the worst means. Once more, it’s all subjective, it’s all artwork, it’s all who you want.
“I believe Francis is the best heavyweight of all time, however once more, now Jon is in there, he’s the heavyweight champion. He’s solely fought as soon as at heavyweight, however he’s additionally one in all, if not the best fighter of all-time. Tom Aspinall’s even within the f*cking combine, and he’s solely simply form of getting his ball rolling. It’s thrilling as a fan, however proper now on this second, I’m simply so glad for [Ngannou] and what he has completed and to see him undergo it with the adversity he needed to undergo with the demise of Kobe.”
Ngannou entered Saturday’s foremost occasion with the heaviest of hearts, having misplaced his toddler son Kobe this previous April. He devoted the combat to Kobe in a tearful post-fight interview, stating that he was solely preventing once more to honor him.
Following his departure from the UFC in 2023—having by no means misplaced the heavyweight title within the octagon—Ngannou signed with PFL after which booked a pair of high-profile boxing bouts. He narrowly misplaced an exciting cut up resolution towards Tyson Fury after which suffered a knockout loss to Anthony Joshua in his subsequent combat.
When it got here time to compete underneath MMA guidelines, nonetheless, Ngannou went proper again to his successful methods.
“Flawless,” Adesanya stated of Ngannou’s win. “That was a lovely efficiency. He took one leg and dodged a flurry and finally timed his proper hand, shot for a double, saved him there and knocked him out. Proud, impressed, and simply glad to observe him do his factor as a result of he’s gone via a lot in his profession even nonetheless. After the entire boxing factor, individuals have been doubting him after which he misplaced to A.J., individuals went, ‘Oh, we knew it.’ It’s like individuals are prisoners of the second.
“They neglect. They neglect who this man is or who individuals are, they’re simply prisoners of the second proper now. So I’m glad he reminded all people why he’s the perfect, why he’s the one, why he’s Francis Ngannou.”
Prayers. Bellator fighter Daiane Silva stays hospitalized after a weight reduce gone fallacious.
For Kobe. Francis Ngannou had rather a lot to show not simply to the world, however to himself.
DMF. Max Holloway questions whether or not Ilia Topuria understands what it means to be a “BMF.”
Troll. Conor McGregor wasn’t impressed with what he noticed at PFL Battle of the Giants.
Props. Jon Jones solely had reward for Ngannou’s MMA comeback.
Assertion. Anthony Hernandez proved he was on one other degree with a drubbing of Michel Pereira within the UFC Vegas 99 foremost occasion.
Battle of the Giants post-show.
Relive Saturday’s PFL occasion with MMA Combating’s Mike Heck and Jed Meshew.
Max Holloway.
PFL fighters break down one of many greatest occasions in league historical past.
Massive Tom breaks down the UFC 308 foremost occasion.
Countdown.
UFC marathon.
On to the Subsequent One. The Finest Pals Mike Heck and Alexander Ok. Lee guess what’s subsequent for PFL star Francis Ngannou and the massive winners from UFC Vegas 99.
Love.
Respect, at all times.
Roasted.
Didn’t have Nicksick rubbing shoulders with Ronaldo on my 2024 bingo card.
Wild.
Sure, that is nonetheless taking place.
Rinat Fakhretdinov (22-1-1) vs. Carlos Leal (21-5); UFC 308, Oct. 26
Francis Ngannou again in MMA? Simply feels proper, man.
Nobody would have blamed Ngannou for taking 2024 off given the terrible tragedy he and his household are going via, so seeing him come again and seem like his previous self, even when for only one night time, it was emotional. As excited as all of us are to see what’s subsequent for him, let’s not neglect to understand the second for what it’s.
Maintain yourselves and one another on the market.
Ballot
What’s subsequent for Francis Ngannou?
0%
(0 votes)
0%
(0 votes)
5 votes complete
Vote Now
Should you discover one thing you’d wish to see within the Morning Report, hit up @AlexanderKlee or @JedKMeshew on Twitter and tell us about it. Additionally, observe MMAFighting on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and like us on Fb.
