After surprising the entire MMA community by departing the UFC on his own terms, Francis Ngannou had the world at his fingertips as a free agent. Not only did he land on his feet by securing a huge deal with the PFL, he also locked in a blockbuster bout for his venture into boxing.
On October 28, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Ngannou was facing the impossible when he collided with the consensus greatest heavyweight of his generation Tyson Fury. Despite coming up short, the former UFC champion shocked everyone by putting on a great show which was almost enough to get his hands raised.
Following his fantastic display, fighters jumped on social media to give their thoughts on how ‘The Predator’ fared in his debut inside the squared circle. The general agreement among those who witnessed history was that win or lose, the powerhouse did himself and the entire mixed martial arts world proud.
“The true champ of the evening @francis_ngannou So proud how you performed.”#BattleoftheBaddest #RiyadhSeason pic.twitter.com/btQcCrPJkC
— Mike Tyson (@MikeTyson) October 29, 2023
Wow come on Francis Ngannou won this fight! ✊🏾🤴🏿 👑
— GILBERT BURNS DURINHO (@GilbertDurinho) October 28, 2023
Bullshit.
Francis won that fight. I…
