Former UFC champion Francis Ngannou returns to the octagon after a long break. In October, the Cameroonian will meet Brazilian Renan Ferreira in a fight for the PFL heavyweight belt.

Ngannou promised that he would dedicate his next fight to his son, who died suddenly at the age of one and a half this spring.

The difficult fate of an African fighter

Francis’ entire athletic career has been fraught with obstacles. A native of Cameroon, he emigrated to France at the age of 26. Before that age, Ngannou had not been involved in professional martial arts. In Paris, Francis was poor and lived on the streets until he was picked up by local trainer Fernand Lopez. He allowed the African to train for free at his MMA Factory gym.

In 2013, Ngannou made his professional debut in the French promotion. He joined the UFC in 2015 with a 5-1 record. In the best league in the world, Ngannou immediately became a fan favorite for his knockout power and ability to finish every fight early.

Francis Ngannou, Alistair Overeem / Photo: © Rey Del Rio / Contributor / UFC / Gettyimages.ru

Francis first reached the title fight in 2018. But then he lost to Stipe Miocic in a one-sided fight. Then came the defeat to Derrick Lewis in an incredibly boring fight. It was said that Ngannou had such a weak fight and almost did not throw punches due to psychological problems after losing to the champion.

The defeat to Lewis was the last one for Francis in his MMA career. After that, Ngannou scored four knockouts in a row and again entered the championship fight. In the rematch, the Cameroonian knocked out Miocic in the second round, winning the long-awaited belt.

Ngannou made his first title defense in 2022, winning a decision over Cyril Gane. After that fight, long negotiations with the UFC began regarding a new contract. League president Dana White was not thrilled with Francis’ high demands. Ngannou called himself the organization’s main star and believed that the UFC was underpaying him.

Pursuing a dream and big money in boxing

The conflict with White ended with Ngannou leaving the UFC in early 2023 and moving to the PFL, an organization that gives its fighters the right to compete in boxing.

Fighting in the ring was Francis’ childhood dream, as well as the opportunity to earn tens of millions of dollars, setting himself up for life.

Immediately after leaving the best league in the world, Ngannou began to challenge the leading boxers of the super heavyweight division. In the end, the Cameroonian did not lose and hit the jackpot.

Tyson Fury, Francis Ngannou / Photo: © Justin Setterfield / Staf / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru

Heavyweight leaders Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua agreed to share the ring with the non-professional boxer. Ngannou earned several times more in these two fights than he did in his entire UFC career.

In his fight with Fury last October, Francis looked no worse than the famous boxer and was even able to knock him down. However, the judges made a very controversial decision, awarding the victory to the Briton. The defeat did not bother Ngannou at all, since he earned at least 10 million dollars, and the demand for a fight with him increased many times after such a worthy performance.

In March, Ngannou met Joshua and this time he failed miserably. Anthony knocked out the Cameroonian in the second round, seriously undermining his opponent’s authority in boxing. But the result, as in the case of Fury, is secondary for Francis. Ngannou was not afraid to challenge the strongest boxers on the planet, and with his fees he wiped Dana White’s nose. The risk was justified, and one can only be happy for Francis.

First fight in PFL

Ngannou signed a contract with the PFL back in May 2023. The organization met the fighter halfway and allowed him to fulfill his dream and earn money in boxing. But now it’s time for Francis to remember his native sport.

On October 19, Ngannou will face current PFL heavyweight champion Renan Ferreira. The Brazilian is on a four-fight winning streak, most recently defeating Bellator champion Ryan Bader via TKO.

Renan Ferreira / Photo: © Cooper Neill / Contributor / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru

It is impossible to predict in what physical and mental state Ngannou will approach the fight, given the recent death of his child and almost three years of break from MMA. I want to believe that the Cameroonian will show his strengths, and fans will see a bright fight between two powerful knockout artists.