‘I Feel That Man’ – Israel Adesanya Names Best Heavyweight UFC Fighter

Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has praised Francis Ngannou as the top heavyweight fighter in the world after his knockout victory over Renan Ferreira at PFL Super Fights.

In his return to MMA and PFL debut, Ngannou delivered a first-round knockout, displaying his trademark power and reaffirming his dominance in the heavyweight division.

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Adesanya, who closely followed the bout, expressed admiration for Ngannou’s performance, especially given the personal challenges the Cameroonian-French fighter has recently overcome.

“That was beautiful,” Adesanya said of Ngannou’s win. “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 and his capacity to rise above the doubts that emerged after his exit from the UFC and transition into 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. However, he also recognized the subjective nature of such assertions, particularly with Jon Jones now holding the UFC heavyweight title and Tom Aspinall’s swift 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.

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Ngannou’s stunning victory in the PFL has reignited conversations about cross-promotional fights and the potential for matchups against other top heavyweights.

As the heavyweight MMA landscape evolves, Ngannou’s performance has undeniably placed him back at the centre of discussions, reaffirming his status as one of the most feared and respected fighters in the division.

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