Adesanya hails Ngannou as best heavyweight UFC fighter

Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has hailed Francis Ngannou as the best heavyweight fighter in the world following his knockout victory over Renan Ferreira at PFL Super Fights, The PUNCH reports.

Ngannou, making his MMA return and PFL debut, secured a first-round knockout win over Ferreira, showcasing his devastating power and proving that he remains a force to be reckoned with in the heavyweight division.

Adesanya, who watched the fight closely, was impressed by Ngannou’s performance, especially considering the personal challenges the Cameroonian-French fighter has faced recently.

“That was beautiful,” Adesanya said of Ngannou’s win. “I feel that man. That’s for Kobe… Y’all must have forgotten, bro… Flawless, that was a beautiful performance. He took one leg kick and dodged the flurry, timed his right hand and shot for a double, kept him there, and knocked him out.”

The Nigerian-born New Zealand fighter emphasised Ngannou’s resilience and ability to overcome doubts that had arisen following his departure from the UFC and venture into professional boxing.

“I’m proud, inspired, and just happy to watch him do his thing. He’s gone through so much in his career, even still after the whole boxing thing. People doubted him… People are prisoners of the moment, but they forget who this man is… I’m glad he reminded everybody why he’s the best, why he’s the one, why he’s Francis Ngannou,” Adesanya added.

Adesanya went further to suggest that Ngannou may have surpassed Stipe Miocic as the greatest heavyweight fighter of all time. However, he also acknowledged the subjective nature of such claims, especially with Jones now holding the UFC heavyweight title and Aspinall’s rapid rise in the division.

“Right now, people still hold Stipe as the greatest of all time in the heavyweight division; I think he’s one of the greatest. He beat Francis, but then Francis beat him in the worst way. It’s all subjective; it’s all art; it’s all [about] who you like. I think that Francis is the greatest heavyweight of all time, but again, now that Jon Jones is the heavyweight champion, he’s only fought once… Tom Aspinall’s in the f**king mix [too], and he’s only just getting his ball rolling,” Adesanya explained.

Ngannou’s impressive victory in the PFL has reignited discussions about cross-promotional fights and the possibility of facing other top heavyweights.

As the landscape of heavyweight MMA continues to evolve, Ngannou’s performance has certainly put him back at the forefront of the conversation as one of the most feared and respected fighters in the division.