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Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
Patrick Keddie

Cameroon’s Ngannou returns to MMA after tough year, fights Ferreira in PFL

After a year marked by personal tragedy, Francis Ngannou has embarked on a new mixed martial arts (MMA) journey, taking part in the Professional Fighters League (PFL) heavyweight title fight against Renan Ferreira on October 19, 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia [Cooper Neill/Getty Images]

Francis Ngannou’s journey to fighting superstardom has seen him go from working in gold mines as a child in his native Cameroon, to crossing the Sahara to reach Europe, to becoming the UFC heavyweight champion and fighting some of the finest boxers of his generation.

But when he fights on Saturday night, he will not only be taking on Renan Ferreira for the Professional Fighters League (PFL) Super Fights heavyweight crown, he will also be testing his desire to keep fighting after the devastating loss of his 15-month-old son Kobe earlier this year.

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