Francis Ngannou dedicated his Professional Fighters League (PFL) heavyweight title victory over Renan Ferreira to his late son, Kobe, after securing a first-round knockout at the ‘Battle of the Giants’ event.

Ngannou, the former UFC heavyweight champion, made a triumphant return to mixed martial arts following a stint in boxing, where he suffered a defeat to Anthony Joshua in March. The Cameroonian fighter dominated the bout from the outset, landing powerful kicks and taking his Brazilian opponent to the ground. He then unleashed a flurry of crushing punches, concluding the fight with 88 seconds left in the first round.

In an emotional post-fight interview, the 38-year-old was visibly tearful as he honored his son Kobe, who tragically passed away earlier this year at just 15 months old. “The past two days have been very tough, filled with emotion. I couldn’t do anything without thinking about [Kobe’s passing],” he shared.

“I tried to stay strong and kept telling myself to keep moving forward, but it’s hard. It’s just hard. I only took this fight because of him. I wanted to fight for him… I hope people can remember his name because without Kobe, we wouldn’t be here tonight. I wouldn’t have fought. Thank you, everyone, for coming.”

The event, dubbed a ‘super fight,’ departed from the PFL’s standard format of a regular season and playoffs, instead ensuring title belts were up for grabs for Ngannou’s highly anticipated return.

Ngannou is a beloved champion, having risen from a childhood of poverty in Cameroon to the pinnacle of mixed martial arts, with his crowning achievement being the UFC heavyweight title in March 2021. After his UFC contract ended, he ventured into boxing, facing Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury in high-profile bouts before making his PFL debut, significantly boosting the league’s competition with the UFC.

In the co-main event, Brazilians Cris Cyborg and Larissa Pacheco battled for the PFL Super Fights women’s featherweight belt. The seasoned Cyborg emerged victorious, securing a unanimous decision after five grueling rounds.

Additional reporting by Reuters.