Francis Ngannou retained his lineal heavyweight title with a blistering first-round stoppage over Renan Ferreira on Saturday.
In many ways, it was a vintage performance from ‘The Predator’ in Saudi Arabia, where he utilized his explosive and dynamic movement to secure the emphatic victory.
However, it could also be said that the 38-year-old showcased his improved ground game, pounding his 6ft 8 inch opponent in a torrid beatdown against the cage.
And this, in fact, was largely Francis Ngannou’s game plan ahead of his PFL debut, only there was a high degree of risk attached to his enhanced aptitude for grappling.
Eric Nicksick explains Francis Ngannou’s rib injury ahead of Renan Ferreira fight
Ngannou is no stranger to the remarkable sacrifices that come with his level of fame and success.
As it happens, he was forced to carry a formidable mental burden – before returning to the octagon – following the tragic death of his son, Kobe.
MMA fans were moved by the Cameroonian’s touching tribute to Kobe after his victory over Ferreira, but had no idea of the physical pain he endured throughout his training camp too.
Now, it has been revealed by Ngannou’s long-term trainer, Eric Ricksick, that the former UFC heavyweight champion had sustained a rib injury prior to his contest.
And so, the pulverizing knockout artist’s grappling-based game plan was in serious danger of being impeded by his injury.
“It was bad enough to where you’ve got to think: He blew out his knee and wasn’t going to pull out of the Ciryl Gane fight [but almost pulled out of this one],” Nicksick told MMA Junkie.
“There’s a difference, different stakes, but also it was a different type of pain for him, and obviously we had a grappling-heavy game plan.
“He was worried if he was on his back, how he would be able to move and try to grapple with an injured rib.”
Eric Nicksick considers emotions attached to Francis Ngannou’s PFL debut
Ngannou ultimately went ahead with his PFL title fight on Saturday after his MRI scan went better than expected.
Even so, with the passing of his 15-month-old son still at the forefront of his mind, Ricksick acknowledges the hurdles that his fighter was compelled to overcome ahead of his MMA comeback.
Thank you all for being there and for all the support from around the world, thanks to my team and my family. 🙌🏾❤️🥰#KOBE4EVER ❤️ pic.twitter.com/BXPHWso5zn
— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) October 20, 2024
“He’s been through a lot, and more than I think a lot of us will ever know,” Nicksick added. “It’s just an unimaginable set of events that occurred.
“Not only that, but coming back and winning in the fashion that he won – it’s just a lot of emotions.”
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