Adesanya praises Ngannou as world’s top UCF champion

Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has lauded Francis Ngannou as the top heavyweight fighter in the world, following his emphatic knockout win over Renan Ferreira at the PFL Super Fights, as reported by News360 Nigeria.

Ngannou, who made a successful return to mixed martial arts in his PFL debut, delivered a stunning first-round knockout, reaffirming his fearsome power and solidifying his position as a dominant force in the heavyweight ranks.

Adesanya, who closely followed the fight, expressed admiration for Ngannou’s performance, especially given the personal hurdles the Cameroonian-French fighter has recently navigated.

“That was a masterpiece,” Adesanya said in reaction to Ngannou’s victory. “I felt that on a deeper level. That was for Kobe… People forget too easily, bro… Flawless, that was an amazing display. He absorbed one leg kick, dodged a flurry, perfectly timed his right hand, and went for the double leg takedown, kept control, and knocked him out.”

Adesanya highlighted Ngannou’s resilience and ability to silence critics who had doubted him after his UFC departure and venture into the world of 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.