MMA Junkie’s 2024 Comeback Fighter of the Yr: Francis Ngannou

The street again to MMA was lengthy and winding for Francis Ngannou.

However when it was time to step again into the cage once more, he did so with a bang. In what was his first struggle in 34 months, Ngannou smashed the towering Rennan Ferreira in PFL: Battle of the Giants in October in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He completed the struggle with strikes at 3:32 of Spherical 1.

Ngannou’s win got here in his first look since his UFC exit that was introduced in January 2023. The break up was highly-publicized with each Ngannou and UFC CEO Dana White standing agency on their floor.

Ngannou in the end signed with PFL, which allowed him to take boxing matches. Ngannou first boxed then-heavyweight champion Tyson Fury in October 2023, and almost shocked the world. Nevertheless, it was Fury that received the break up resolution despite being knocked down. Many viewers disagreed with the judges.

5 months later in March, Ngannou re-entered the ring. Towards Anthony Joshua, the result was extra decisive. Joshua brutally folded Ngannou over backward with knockout blows in Spherical 2.

One month later, Ngannou introduced on social media the death of his 15-month-old son, Kobe. Crushed, Ngannou later revealed the devastating incident almost resulted in his retirement.

As an alternative, Ngannou determined retirement would do his son’s reminiscence a disservice. He then accepted the long-awaited bout with Ferreira and ended it swiftly.

By enterprise and public drama to devastating losses each in and out of doors the cage, Ngannou was not deterred. He bounced again huge in 2024, conserving his identify within the dialogue for who’s the world’s greatest heavyweight.

Ngannou is the 2024 MMA Junkie Comeback Fighter of the Yr.

Honorable point out: Youssef Zalal

It’s exhausting sufficient to make it to the UFC as soon as. It’s even tougher to do it twice.

Not solely did Youssef Zalal do sufficient on the regional scene for matchmaker Sean Shelby to convey him again, he now sits on the cusp of a possible ranked matchup to start out 2025.

Zalal was reduce in 2022 after a 3-3-1 stint. After three MMA wins and two kickboxing wins exterior the promotion, Zalal stepped right into a short-notice alternative reverse Billy Quarantillo in March 2024. He received the struggle by second-round rear-naked choke.

The identical submission maintain received him his subsequent struggle in August. That point, Jarno Errens was the victim. To shut the yr, Zalal utilized an arm-triangle choke to tap Jack Shore and transfer him to 3-0 in an eight-month stretch.