Francis Ngannou dedicated his win to late son, Kobe, after marking his Mixed Martial Arts return by knocking out Renan Ferreira within four minutes of the first round at the PFL Super Fights event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Ngannou’s son was only 15 months old when he passed away earlier this year, and Ngannou stated afterwards that he only chose this fight – his PFL debut – because of him.
“I can’t think about anything [other] than my son Kobe. I only took this fight because of him,” said Ngannou. “I went to fight for him. I hope they can remember his name because without Kobe, we wouldn’t be here tonight. I wouldn’t have fought.”
The 38-year-old Cameroonian expressed confidence in his MMA abilities, despite time spent away from the sport after his spat with the UFC organisation.
“I knew I didn’t miss a step. I wasn’t worried about it because as soon as I walked in the gym I knew everything was still there,” said Ngannou. “It was just me being able to manage my emotions. Deal with life separately, not mix things up… I think my next move in combat sports all depends on me, how I feel. I always think I have a lot to give and I keep thinking that way.”