Francis Ngannou comes home this Saturday.

OK, technically he’s actually entering new stomping grounds as he makes his long-awaited league debut at PFL: Ngannou vs. Ferreira a.k.a. “Battle of the Giants” in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. But he is returning to the ruleset under which he built his reputation as he competes in MMA for the first time since January 2022, and the first time since parting ways with the UFC the following year.

Ngannou is still the lineal heavyweight champion having never lost his belt inside the octagon, so the stakes are high as he takes on 2023 PFL tournament champion Renan Ferreira. A vintage performance by “The Predator” could inject new life into the league, while the slightest slip-up could invite a fresh wave of criticism for MMA’s self-proclaimed co-leader.

MMA Fighting’s Jed Meshew, Damon Martin, and Alexander K. Lee got together to discuss the ramifications of the main event, plus Cris Cyborg making a return of her own against Larissa Pacheco, and else to watch for this Saturday.