Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou made a triumphant return to MMA last weekend in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, putting both his past struggles and his 6’8″ opponent, PFL heavyweight Renan Ferreira, behind him. ‘The Predator’ overwhelmed his opponent with a first-round finish, utilizing a blend of powerful wrestling and striking skills. This approach, recently described as the “evasive path to victory,” put Ferreira to slumber and ended his four-fight winning streak in the Professional Fighters League (PFL).

Following a two-year absence, Francis Ngannou’s long-awaited return to the cage generated significant intrigue from fans and media alike, with many wondering what strategy ‘The Predator’ would employ. Ariel Helwani echoed this sentiment on his podcast, where he asked Ngannou, “What was the game plan to try to take him down so early?”

Ngannou explained that there wasn’t a specific strategy to take Ferreira down early, but rather, he seized the opportunity when it presented itself. The Cameroonian clarified, “He was part of the plan because, like, even though he has a good ground game, what I do know for sure is that he doesn’t have great wrestling. So if we got on the ground and I was on top, I knew I could manage and give him a rough time. Also, one thing that played into the takedown was timing. He’s got that right hand, which is almost automatic.”

‘The Predator’ elaborated on his game plan and what led to his victory over Ferreira. He added, “You just need to press the trigger to let that right hand go and then have good timing to do whatever can be effective, whether it’s a punch or a takedown.”

Ferreira had been hyping himself up before the fight, claiming, “Francis has had a tough year… I’m going to be his biggest problem yet.” However, after being swiftly sent into the shadow realm by Francis Ngannou, Ferreira’s tune quickly changed.