PFL: The 5 biggest takeaways from Francis Ngannou's devastating return at Battle of the Giants

By Francis Ngannou's standards, the fight was practically a marathon.

After nearly three years away from MMA, the lineal heavyweight champion must have felt rusty. It took him all of three minutes and 32 seconds to defeat Renan Ferreira in the main event of Saturday's PFL: Battle of the Giants event. But oh well. He could probably use the extra cage time. Especially if he plans on getting back into the MMA field as a full-time job.

With PFL's latest pay-per-view attempt now in the books, we sift through the rubble for key takeaways from Saturday's event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

1. He may try boxing, but Ngannou belongs in MMA

After two very lucrative defeats as a professional boxer, Ngannou desperately needed a win in the cage to remind us how he became a star in the first place. His easy win over Ferreira, followed by an absolutely brutal ground-and-pound, was one such memory.

Look, no one can say Ngannou's foray into the ring was a mistake. He exceeded expectations against Tyson Fury and was then catapulted back down to earth by Anthony Joshua. He also made a lot of money and checked some things off his wish list. I don't doubt he would consider doing it again for the right price, but his chances of winning fights will be much higher in MMA, where he can use the full range of a toolbox that is now clearly more than only hitting offers power as an option.

2. It will be a problem for the PFL to find opponents who can actually test Big Fran

It's a simple fact that when you start making a list of the best heavyweights in the world, you usually end up naming guys who are signed to the UFC. Ngannou walked away as champion without ever losing the UFC belt. He still holds the purely hypothetical but entirely significant title of lineal heavyweight champion. The problem with this family tree is that it has very few potential opponents that wouldn't seem like a waste of time.

Where will PFL find them? One option is to try growing them yourself. The whole season format should be good for that. But just because you produce a winner doesn't mean people will take him seriously as a challenger for the baddest man in the world.

The other option is to get out the checkbook and start looking for a free agent. Even then, you would have to find the right time for the right person to negotiate their UFC deal and come on the market. Ngannou doesn't fight cheaply, so the PFL needs to make the most of him putting on the little gloves. I just don't see too many fans rooting for endless Ngannou vs. TBD pay-per-views.

3. Cris Cyborg is nothing short of an MMA legend

With her unanimous decision victory over Larissa Pacheco, Cyborg has now won titles in:

• UFC

• PFL

• Invicta

• Bellator

• Impact power

In other words, basically everywhere. Name a major fighting promotion that had some sort of women's division and Cyborg was champion there. It's such an incredible feat that it threatens to overshadow how rare it is for a fighter, male or female, to still be this good nearly 20 years into their professional career.

When Cyborg started in 2005, there was hardly any women's MMA. Certainly the UFC wasn't anywhere near ready to commit to it. Cyborg quickly rose to the top of the sport and then simply set up camp there. Who does that? No one. Not in MMA. At least not yet.

4. Anyone worried that Paul Hughes wasn't ready for this level can stop worrying now

Hughes came into this fight with the first signs of hype. Maybe people had heard his name. Maybe they had even seen one of his last fights. Maybe they didn't know anything except: Here comes another Irish fighter that the Irish fans are excited about.

AJ McKee represented a major step forward in the competition. This is a guy who basically just lost to Patricio Pitbull, a man who was able to very convincingly claim to be the best fighter in the world for several years there.

Hughes never seemed out of place or overwhelmed. If he had had 10 seconds left to work at the end of the first round, he might have put McKee away. Instead, he picked up a narrow decision win and immediately made a name for himself.

5. Johnny Eblen remains undefeated but uninspiring

Eblen dominated the fight with Fabian Edwards so I'm not sure what the scorecards ended up being 48-47. Still, I can't tell you it was a ton of fun to watch.

I guess when you're 16-0 you think you're going to dance with whoever brought you here and do whatever it takes to keep the record spotless. I can't hate it. I wouldn't go through it again if you paid me.