Adesanya Declares Ngannou the Top Heavyweight UFC Fighter Following Impressive Knockout

Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has praised Francis Ngannou as the best heavyweight fighter in the world after Ngannou’s stunning knockout of Renan Ferreira at PFL Super Fights, according to The PUNCH.

Ngannou marked his return to MMA and debut in the PFL with a first-round knockout, demonstrating his formidable power and re-establishing himself as a dominant force in the heavyweight division.

Adesanya, who closely followed the fight, was particularly impressed by Ngannou’s performance, especially given the personal challenges the Cameroonian-French fighter has faced. “That was beautiful,” he remarked. “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 highlighted Ngannou’s resilience in overcoming doubts that arose following his transition from the UFC to 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 on to suggest that Ngannou might have eclipsed Stipe Miocic as the greatest heavyweight fighter of all time, while also acknowledging the subjective nature of such assessments, especially with Jon Jones now holding the UFC heavyweight title and Tom Aspinall’s rapid ascent 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 remarkable victory has reignited conversations about potential cross-promotional fights and matchups with other top heavyweights. As the heavyweight MMA landscape continues to shift, Ngannou’s performance has undeniably placed him back in the spotlight as one of the most feared and respected competitors in the division.