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Watch: Cristiano Ronaldo Reacts to Francis Ngannou’s Stunning Knockout, Shares Emotional Connection

cristiano ronaldo francis ngannou Superstar Cristiano Ronaldo sat cage side to watch his friend Francis Ngannou earn a world title in MMA. Cameroon’s…

Superstar Cristiano Ronaldo sat cage side to watch his friend Francis Ngannou earn a world title in MMA. Cameroon’s Ngannou and the Portuguese footballer Ronaldo are old friends but both compete largely in Saudi Arabia.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. With Manchester United, he won multiple titles including three Premier League championships and the UEFA Champions League. Afterward, he transferred to Real Madrid and became the club’s all-time leading scorer winning four more Champions League titles. Ronaldo joined Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr in January 2023, reportedly earning one of the highest salaries in football history.

Francis Ngannou

Cameroon’s Francis Ngannou was able to become the UFC heavyweight champion, capturing the world title with a stunning knockout. After defending this throne, he left the organization and took on new challenges. Ngannou competed in two blockbuster boxing matches, both hosted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Last week In Riyadh, he earned the PFL heavyweight crown by first-round knockout.

Cristiano Ronaldo Reacts to Francis Ngannou

Both Cristiano Ronaldo and Francis Ngannou were in Riyadh for the PFL fight and the football megastar enjoyed watching the bout. See below for his reaction:

During their backstage meeting, Ronaldo was a pillar of support for Ngannou according to head coach Eric Nicksick. Speaking to MMA Junkie, he explained:

“He’s super down to earth, super cool guy, and he’s actually a huge fight fan. He had a bunch of questions. He was talking to me about Strickland, he was talking to me about this and whatever fight it was. At one point Francis got up to wrap his hands and Ronaldo was talking about that he could feel Francis’ energy and he’s like, ‘I’m going to give him words of encouragement.’”

Earlier this year, Francis Ngannou lost his one-year-old son. Cristiano Ronaldo related and helped out the athlete with advice. Nicksick continued:

“He was talking about the loss of one of his children and how he related to things like that. It was pretty cool. I know how big of a star he is, but him sitting next to me and having this very personal conversation – he felt like he was a part of the team right then and there. His son was in there with us and hanging out. It was very much a welcomed energy to have in the room, especially with someone of that stature that understands the highest of pressure. It was cool. He was a great guy. Very down to earth. Very cool.”

Will Francis Ngannou Face Rico Verhoeven?

PFL World Champion Francis Ngannou may have a future opponent in Rico Verhoeven, the kickboxing world title holder. Rumors…

PFL World Champion Francis Ngannou may have a future opponent in Rico Verhoeven, the kickboxing world title holder. Rumors and quotes have been circulating recently.

Francis Ngannou

Cameroon’s Francis Ngannou was the UFC heavyweight champion and was feared for his striking power, with an incredible 85% knockout win rate. Since walking away from the organization, he took on two blockbuster boxing fights against champions Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. Afterward, he returned to MMA to capture the PFL heavyweight title with a first-round knockout.

Rico Verhoeven

The Dutch-born Rico Verhoeven captured the GLORY Kickboxing World title in 2014 and has not lost since, he now has compiled 11 title defenses plus a Grand Prix championship along the way. He is best known for his fights against Badr Hari. The kickboxer has a 32% knockout win rate and has largely cleared out the heavyweight division. His next bout is a rematch against Levi Rigters then hopefully he can face Antonio Plazibat, after that, there’s no one left in this division.

Francis Ngannou vs. Rico Verhoeven

When Francis Ngannou left the UFC, he was fielding offers from many organizations as the hottest free agent in combat sports. GLORY Kickboxing circulated a story stating that they had sent Ngannou an offer. In a conversation with me, Ngannou said that this story was simply false. In no uncertain terms, he said: “No, no. I never received an offer from GLORY.“

The Cameroonian athlete had a singular kickboxing win before he made his professional MMA debut. Reflecting on this match, Francis Ngannou told me: “Well, I remember it was a moment that I just wanted to fight. I was very excited, was very hungry, and was training all the time. I wanted to fight. My kickboxing wasn’t great though … But I was just like, I have the will to win. I was going there for everything. It was quite a good experience.”

The kickboxing champion Rico Verhoeven has a singular MMA victory from 2015. Verhoeven and Ngannou have each competed professionally across kickboxing, MMA, and boxing. The ruleset in a potential could be mixed following a long history of kickboxers vs. MMA fighters, such as we used to see K-1 vs. PRIDE events.. In conversation with the PFL though; they’re not looking to mix rules.

Speaking in an interview with Ariel Helwani, Verhoeven implored the public for this match. He said:

“What I would like to say to them is just, I think when we’re talking about ‘Baddest on the Planet’, and we’re talking about crossover fights, this must happen! It hasn’t happened because we’ve done the most crazy fights, and this is one of them that needs to be added to the list. So let’s make it happen!

“Let’s find out who it is…the crossover talks, they’ve been going on for quite some time. For example, what’s going on in [Saudi Arabia] is awesome. They’ve put mixed martial arts on the map in a different way…there’s so many different flavors. Could be a home-and-away fight, kickboxing or MMA fight, which likely ends up 1-1. But a boxing match, that’s interesting, because it’s a different way for both of us.”

Francis Ngannou’s Next Challenge: MMA or Boxing? PFL Champ Aims for 2025 Comeback

After capturing the heavyweight title in the PFL, Francis Ngannou is uncertain whether he will have his next match…

After capturing the heavyweight title in the PFL, Francis Ngannou is uncertain whether he will have his next match boxing or MMA. But ideally, the Cameroonian-born athlete will return to action sometime in 2025.

Francis Ngannou Next Fight

The 38-year-old Francis Ngannou had tremendous success competing in MMA with the UFC. He was feared for his punching power and was able to capture the UFC heavyweight world title by way of knockout. After successfully defending this championship he walked away from the organization.

Once he left the UFC, Francis Ngannou had massive payday offers for him in boxing and with the PFL. He had two blockbuster boxing matches facing champions Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. In the PFL, competing in MMA, he was able to stop the top-ranked knockout striker Renan Ferreira, who was a PFL champion.

Francis Ngannou PFL 1 — Photo By Tim Wheaton

After defeating Renan Ferreira by first-round knockout, Francis Ngannou has two options ahead of him: compete in MMA with the PFL or have a boxing match. Speaking in an interview with Ariel Helwani, he explained:

“It could be either one (MMA or boxing). I don’t know yet. I don’t have any hand in that one. I don’t have a decision. I think it also depends on promotion. I don’t know. If next, PFL, they come up with something with a fight or a date, maybe we’ll work on it. If it’s boxing, same thing.” [Ht MyMMANews]

Either way, ‘The Predator’ Ngannou is set to make millions of dollars. In MMA, with the PFL, he is getting paid over $10 million per fight plus bonuses. His two boxing matches earned him a combined $30 million. Additionally, he is able to help build up the sport as the leader of PFL Africa, and he has peace of mind because in MMA he has guaranteed his opponent a massive payday giving them at least $2 million for fighting him in the PFL.

Conor McGregor: “I’ll Support You 100%” in Paul Hughes Bout Against Usman Nurmagomedov, takes shots at Khabib

Ireland’s Paul Hughes will soon face the Khabib Nurmagomedov trained Usman Nurmagomedov, for the Bellator title, and wants Conor…

Ireland’s Paul Hughes will soon face the Khabib Nurmagomedov trained Usman Nurmagomedov, for the Bellator title, and wants Conor McGregor in his corner for this matchup. ‘The Notorious’ said he is absolutely into supporting Hughes for his title match against the Dagestani athlete.

Paul Hughes

The Cage Warriors champion signed with the PFL earlier this year. In his promotional debut, he out-pointed the prodigy AJ McKee over a three-round decision. With this win in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, he sets himself up as the top contender to face Usman Nurmagomedov for the Bellator Lightweight Title.

Usman is a cousin of Khabib Nurmagomedov and has long been a training partner. Khabib would be in Usman’s corner during the Hughes title match. Thus, Hughes has asked his Irish countryman and rival of Khabib, Conor McGregor to be in his corner. In his post-fight interview, the Irish fighter said:

“Yeah, that’s obvious. [Usman Nurmagomedov] is what I want. I said I was here for the biggest fights, the highest-pressure moments, and to make the most money possible. Usman is next, no question. There’s a lot of hype around this fight, and I’m here for it … How crazy would that be? We might need some extra security that night, though. We’ll need more security! But I’m down for it. It’ll be fun.”

Conor McGregor

Conor McGregor changed the face of MMA when he made history as a two-division UFC Champion. But he might be best known for his blockbuster match against his rival Khabib Nurmagomedov. Hearing the calls from Paul Hughes, McGregor said that he would be in attendance to support Hughes against Nurmagomedov. In a deleted Tweet, ‘The Notorious’ said:

“Paul my man I will go to the arena and support 100% for sure and if it kicks off I’ll be in there before you could even say ‘The [Nurmagomedovs] are juice head inbred rats married to their cousins’. Your team and corner have done a tremendous job with you! They will take you all the way! You’ve got this! We are with you brother, bring home the Gold!”

Conor McGregor Khabib Usman Paul Hughes — Screenshot by Curtis Calhoun

Conor McGregor: “I’ll Support You 100%” in Paul Hughes Bout Against Usman Nurmagomedov, takes shots at Khabib

Ireland’s Paul Hughes will soon face the Khabib Nurmagomedov trained Usman Nurmagomedov, for the Bellator title, and wants Conor…

Paul Hughes

“Yeah, that’s obvious. [Usman Nurmagomedov] is what I want. I said I was here for the biggest fights, the highest-pressure moments, and to make the most money possible. Usman is next, no question. There’s a lot of hype around this fight, and I’m here for it … How crazy would that be? We might need some extra security that night, though. We’ll need more security! But I’m down for it. It’ll be fun.”

Conor McGregor

“Paul my man I will go to the arena and support 100% for sure and if it kicks off I’ll be in there before you could even say ‘The [Nurmagomedovs] are juice head inbred rats married to their cousins’. Your team and corner have done a tremendous job with you! They will take you all the way! You’ve got this! We are with you brother, bring home the Gold!”

Paul Hughes wants Conor McGregor in his corner when he faces Usman Nurmagomedov “We’ll need more security” student of Khabib

Ireland’s Paul Hughes got a huge win in the PFL debut as he took on the prodigy AJ McKee….

Ireland’s Paul Hughes got a huge win in the PFL debut as he took on the prodigy AJ McKee. Hughes was able to out-point his opponent with sharp counters and flying knees. After the victory, he wants the Bellator champion, and student of Khabib Nurmagomedov, Usman Nurmagomedov, but with Conor McGregor in his corner.

Paul Hughes wants Usman Nurmagomedov

The former Cage Warriors champion signed with the PFL looking to become a world champion in the organization. In his debut, he was able to defeat the top-ranked, and ultra-talented, AJ McKee via split decision. The Irish-born Paul Hughes was able to out-point his opponent in an impressive victory and showed off his striking acumen.

After the fight, he called out the Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov who is a long-time student, and cousin, of MMA legend, Khabib Nurmagomedov. Hughes is very likely to face Usman next with the title on the line and in that bout, Khabib will be in his corner. For that, Hughes has requested that Conor McGregor be in his corner for the match.

Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor

Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor had one of the most bitter rivalries in MMA history. Their blockbuster match for the UFC world title was a major event and one of the biggest fights in the history of the sport. Khabib won but then a brawl broke out after the match.

Paul Hughes wins in the PFL

Speaking to the media after his PFL win, Paul Hughes explained:

“Yeah, that’s obvious. [Usman Nurmagomedov] is what I want. I said I was here for the biggest fights, the highest-pressure moments, and to make the most money possible. Usman is next, no question. There’s a lot of hype around this fight, and I’m here for it.“

On potentially having Conor McGregor in his corner, he added:

“How crazy would that be? We might need some extra security that night, though. We’ll need more security! But I’m down for it. It’ll be fun.”

Discussing his victory over AJ McKee, Hughes said:

“When you’re in there, it’s sometimes hard to tell, but judging from the energy of the crowd and AJ’s face, it’s pretty clear I won. I smashed him, walked him down, and put punches on him. I hurt him so many times. I was close to knocking him out a few times, but I didn’t get him out of there. I’ll 100% get him next time.”