Ring rust: You hear us talk about it quite a bit in MMA. Anytime a fighter takes an extended hiatus from the sport for whatever reason, the question comes up: How much ring rust does this fighter have? After, you watch the fight play out and you have an answer.
Heading into this weekend’s PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants from Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the question of ring rust came into play for the PFL Super Fights Heavyweight Championship fight in the main event for former UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou (18-3 MMA, 1-0 PFL) ahead of his fight vs. Renan Ferreira (13-4, 3 NC MMA, 7-2, 3 NC PFL).
He hadn’t made an appearance in an MMA fight in more than two years before the cage door shut in Saudi Arabia, but he had kept busy with two boxing matches over the past year. Both of those contests inside the squared circle ended in defeat.
Ngannou Came in Off Knee Surgery
Another question that was on the minds of fans and pundits alike was one of how Ngannou’s knee would hold up, with the Battle of the Giants main event being his first appearance in an MMA fight since undergoing knee surgery in the aftermath of his fight versus Ciryl Gane (12-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) in 2022 during UFC 270.
“My body is holding up well,” Ngannou mentioned before Battle of the Giants in an interview with Mike Bohn of USA Today’s MMA Junkie. “Obviously, I had a knee surgery, but that was over two years, two years and a half now. It took me quite a long time, over a year, to really get back, but now I’m very strong. By the time I get back into [a] fight, I’m very strong.”
The big night came, and on Saturday, Ngannou’s performance can be summed up in one word: Vintage. An age-old constant proved true once more: When two heavyweights get into the cage to go to battle, expecting the fight to go the full advertised distance is like expecting Aaron Judge to strike out with the bases loaded for the New York Yankees in the upcoming World Series.
No Doubt of a Win on Saturday Night
Simply put, the performance put in by Francis Ngannou over the weekend was a masterclass of how a marquee heavyweight fight in this sport should play out. At the core, it’s the dream scenario come to life.
Not long after the command to fight was given in the first round of a scheduled five, Ngannou tried his luck with a leg kick before scoring with a right-handed punch. Upon taking Ferreira down, Ngannou took top position and survived a triangle choke attempt from his opponent.
This gave him the opening he needed to hammer away with ground and pound shots, including heavy punches from the back mount, knocking Ferreira out cold. Time of the stoppage: Three minutes, 32 seconds into the contest.
“The king has returned!”, emoted Sean O’Connell, who worked Battle of the Giants as the blow-by-blow commentator.
For someone who’s been away from MMA for close to three full years, Francis Ngannou looked like a man who didn’t take any time off from the sport on Saturday night. He was amazing to watch.
Ngannou Dedicates Win to Late Son
Francis Ngannou was fighting with a heavy heart on Saturday night, as Battle of the Giants was his first appearance since the passing of his 15-month-old son, Kobe, this past spring. During his post-fight interview with Brett Okamoto, Ngannou honored his child.
“I just can’t think about anything than my son, Kobe,” Ngannou began, fighting back tears. “I only [took] this fight because of him. I wanted to fight for him… I hope they can remember his name, because without Kobe, we wouldn’t be here tonight.”
His son’s name will surely be remembered after Ngannou’s tear-jerking interview. The biggest fear that any parent can have is that they outlive their child, but he turned the memory of his son into motivation for a victory.
The Sky is the Limit for Ngannou
Not much more has to be said about Francis Ngannou’s victory over the weekend except this: Age is only a number. While he’s 38 years of age, Ngannou clearly showed that he’s still a force to be reckoned with inside the cage.
The PFL matchmakers are going to have a heck of a time trying to book his next contest. Whoever his opponent happens to be, he needs to get himself in the film room right after the contract is officially signed.
Ngannou’s next adversary is going to need every single second of film study that he can possibly get ahead of the fight. If Ngannou looks as good as he did over the weekend, that opponent of his is going to be in a heap of trouble on fight night.
