Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou will (finally) make his Professional Fighters League (PFL) debut when he collides with Brazilian bruiser Renan Ferreira atop the promotion’s upcoming pay-per-view (PPV) card on Sat., Oct. 19, 2024.
A city and venue have yet to be revealed.
“Renan is a great fighter; I have been watching him for years,” Ngannou said in today’s release. “I have been studying him for years, in fact I’ve been telling people to watch this guy. He’s quite unique, he’s athletic, fast, his size doesn’t impress me as much as his skill.”
Ngannou (17-3) has not seen the inside of a cage since Jan. 2022, thanks to a couple of big-money opportunities on the boxing circuit. Ferreira (13-3) is coming off a first-round knockout victory over Bellator bruiser Ryan Bader as part of the promotion’s Riyadh super-card back in February.
The Oct. 19 PPV card, which airs on both DAZN and ESPN+, will also feature the championship super fight between Bellator champion Cris Justino (27-2, 1 NC) and PFL titleholder Larissa Pacheco (23-4), a five-round showdown that marks the first appearance for “Cyborg” since Bellator was acquired by PFL back in late 2023.
Pacheco is the winner of 10 straight with seven knockouts.
“On October 19 live on ESPN+ in the U.S. and DAZN worldwide, MMA fans around the world will witness a true battle of the greatest fighters on the planet competing for the PFL Super Fights Championship Belts,” said PFL CEO Peter Murray.
PFL is expected to reveal the “Battle of the Giants: Brace for Impact” undercard in the coming days.