Francis Ngannou has left fans stunned with a montage of training footage ahead of his PFL debut.
Ngannou fought Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua when making a switch to the boxing ring, being knocked out by the latter in brutal fashion in March.
Instagram – Francis NgannouNgannou let his hands go with trademark power ahead of his MMA return[/caption]
But now he has decided to return to the cage, where he fights naturally, making his PFL debut against Renan Ferreira in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia this weekend.
Ahead of his MMA comeback, ‘The Predator’ has given fans a glimpse into his training camp by sharing some footage from his gym preparations.
He is first seen crunching the pads in a boxing style training drill, while employing some kickboxing too in preparation for MMA.
Ngannou also performed a series of punching drills on heavy bags and dummies, including a ground-and-pound where he unleashed his power.
Fans were once again stunned by his power, but also claimed they had noticed Ngannou improving in certain aspects.
One user noted: “We see a Francis a bit more technical than before and it’s very pleasant to see. We are ready for this weekend’s fight.”
Another wrote: “Francis has certainly improved technically. Maybe that switch to boxing is what he needed.
A fan also agreed, adding: “Looking sharp. He has definitely improved.
Others made predictions or his fight with Ferreira, as a viewer replied: “Nganou will not take more than three rounds to KO Ferreira.”
One marvelled over his power, suggesting: “Justice for that mannequin my lord that’s serious abuse of a non living thing.
“Your opponent need to apologise now to avoid that same touch.”
Instagram – Francis NgannouNgannou is preparing for his first MMA fight since 2022[/caption]
And a user concluded: “Back in business, you should never have left MMA.”
Ngannou hasn’t fought in the cage since his UFC heavyweight title clash with Cyril Gane, which he won in January 2022.
He is now 38 years old and faces a tough challenge against Ferreira, with the 6ft 8ins star having attracted huge plaudits.
It is an interesting period for Ngannou, with fans’ clamour for a showdown with Jon Jones now likely to be put behind him.
And Tom Aspinall, a huge UFC heavyweight contender, insists that the Cameroonian star cannot be classified as one of the best while outside of the UFC.
“I have a lot of respect for Francis,” Aspinall said. “But the guy he’s fighting, he’s not elite. Do you know what I mean?
“And the guys he’ll be fighting in the future aren’t elite, and it’s as simple as that. These aren’t the best guys in the world.
“Yeah, he’s [Ferreira] big. Yeah, he’s powerful. Yeah, he could knock you out, but he’s not an elite heavyweight.
“I’m not disrespecting him. The elite guys are not in the PFL. The elite guys are in the UFC.
“It’s difficult to say that (Ngannou) is the best heavyweight in the world when he isn’t fighting elite guys right now.”