MMA
'Life goes on, no matter what happens' - Francis Ngannou not dwelling on Anthony Joshua loss after tough year
Watch Ngannou's return to the cage on DAZN PPV
Francis Ngannou is not dwelling on defeat to Anthony Joshua, and vowed to make a winning return against Renan Ferreira at PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants live on DAZN.
The French-Cameroonian fighter will compete in his first MMA bout for almost three years when he faces the hulking Brazilian in his promotion debut at Riyadh's Kingdom Arena.
Ngannou turned to boxing in the interim and fought two-time world champion Joshua in March, suffering a second round knockout months after going the distance with Tyson Fury.
| Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira | Heavyweight world title |
| Cris Cyborg vs. Larissa Pacheco | Women's featherweight world title |
| Johnny Eblen vs. Fabian Edwards | Bellator middleweight world title |
| Husein Kadimagomaev vs. Zafar Mohsen | Featherweight |
| AJ McKee vs. Paul Hughes | Lightweight |
| Raufeon Stots vs. Marcos Breno | Bantamweight |
| Makkasharip Zaynukov vs. Dedrek Sanders | Lightweight |
| Ibragim Ibragimov vs. Nacho Campos | Featherweight |
| Mostafa Rashed Nada vs. Ahmed Sami | Middleweight |
| Tariq Ismail vs. Taha Bendaoud | Featherweight |
But after a difficult year that saw the sudden passing of his young son Kobe in April, the 38-year-old admits that he has had little thought for the loss amid other struggles in his life.
"It’s life, [and] life goes on, no matter what happens," he told DAZN. "I’m not even thinking about it because that wasn’t close [compared] to what I have experienced.
"[It has been] tough stuff. I think that was just part of the game. Sometimes, you understand that life gets really tough."
A return to MMA a year-and-a-half on from signing a deal to join the PFL will give Ngannou the chance to honour his son's memory, and he adds that he intends to leave victorious.
"[You'll] see me win," he said. "You’ll see me with my hand raised after the toughest battle.
"I think this fight is more personal. For me, it’s just discovering myself. That is the biggest [takeawy] I’m going to have in this fight."
Watch Ngannou vs. Ferreira on DAZN
Watch Francis Ngannou's return to the cage as he faces Renan Ferreira in the PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants this Saturday on DAZN Pay-Per-View.
The card also features Cris Cyborg against Larissa Pacheco for the women's featherweight world title.
The PPV is priced at £19.99 for UK viewers to watch on any device, including Smart TV's, game consoles, phones, tablets and PC's.
To purchase and find the prices in your region click here.
Purchasing the PPV includes a seven-day free trial of all of DAZN's programming across a range of sports.
More PFL
- Ngannou ready for PFL debut after years away from MMA
- Bellator middleweight world title rematch added to 'Battle of the Giants'
- PFL alternative viewing experience for Battle of the Giants with DAZN
- Jake Paul talks Jon Jones fighting the winner of Ngannou vs. Ferreira
- PFL announces launch of PFL Africa
