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Francis Ngannou looks to “prove what I’m made of” in PFL Main Event against Renan Ferreira

Francis Ngannou PFL The heavyweight king, Francis Ngannou is looking to get back in the win column in the PFL main event…

The heavyweight king, Francis Ngannou is looking to get back in the win column in the PFL main event on October 19. After being away from MMA for so long, and suffering a recent family tragedy, earning a victory is a needed target for the Cameroonian athlete.

Francis Ngannou Discusses PFL Champion Renan Ferreira

PFL Heavyweight champion Renan Ferreira will be entering the October 19 fight with a reach and height advantage. Trained under former UFC titleholder Junior dos Santos, the Brazilian Ferreira has an impressive 85% knockout win rate. Most recently, he is just coming off of a stunning 21-second knockout against Ryan Bader.

Francis Ngannou is a former UFC heavyweight champion who walked away from the organization. Since then, he has taken on two blockbuster boxing fights against champions Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. The Cameroonian fighter suffered a brutal knockout loss to Joshua and then later tragically lost his son. Coming into this fight, he feels a fire burning.

During a PFL press conference hosted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Francis Ngannou explained:

“I think it’s going to be amazing. I wouldn’t call it a return to MMA, but it’s a big night for me to make a statement, to rediscover myself, and to prove what I’m made of. “

Let’s just say I’m going to fight strategically, you know, based on how the fight presents itself. In my career, I’ve only gone for a knockout once, and it didn’t work out for me. The other time I got a knockout in 25 seconds, it wasn’t something that was planned. So, I like to keep it authentic. I’m not planning on a 25-second finish or anything like that. I know I have 25 minutes, so I’ll lay my game plan out over those 25 minutes to win the fight.”

In an interview with Tim Wheaton of Low Kick MMA, Francis Ngannou added:

“I give credit to my hardships, my upbringing. The challenges I faced at a young age prepared me for life. Early on, I knew I was on my own and had to take care of everything myself. It was tough, but it prepared me for the future. Now, when things get tough, I know I’ll get through it. Everything in life comes and goes—nothing lasts forever. It’s about resilience. You’ve got to see beyond what’s in front of you because there’s always something better ahead.”

Francis Ngannou PFL — Photo By Tim Wheaton

Tom Aspinall Questions Francis Ngannou’s Status as an Elite Fighter: ‘These Aren’t the Best Guys in the World’

Tom Aspinall doesn’t seem to think Francis Ngannou should listed among the world’s best heavyweights. On Saturday, October 19,…

Tom Aspinall doesn’t seem to think Francis Ngannou should listed among the world’s best heavyweights.

On Saturday, October 19, ‘The Predator’ will make his long-awaited PFL debut as the promotion premieres its highly anticipated Super Fights pay-per-view series in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. There, Ngannou will square off with the 2023 PFL heavyweight tournament winner Renan Ferreira.

‘Problema’ earned the opportunity to face Ngannou via a 21-second knockout of Bellator heavyweight champion Ryan Bader in February.

With the UFC offering a lackluster APEX card this weekend, all eyes will be on Ngannou’s return to mixed martial arts as he competes against ‘Problema’ for the recently unveiled Super Fights heavyweight world championship.

Tom Aspinall questions francis ngannou’s status as an elite heavyweight mixed martial artist

One fighter who will have his eyes on Saturday’s event is interim UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall. Speaking with Ariel Helwani on Monday, the UK star made it clear that he has nothing but respect for Ngannou and the adversity he’s overcome. However, Aspinall isn’t sure that Ngannou deserves to be in the conversation of elite heavyweight mixed martial artists.

His take is based on the fact that Ngannou is competing against fighters not quite on the UFC level.

“I have a lot of respect for Francis,” Aspinall said. “I have a lot of respect for him, and I really appreciate his story. I really appreciate what he’s done in the sport, but it’s hard to debate right now. The guy he’s fighting, he’s not elite. Do you know what I mean? And the guys he’ll be fighting in the future aren’t elite, and it’s as simple as that. These aren’t the best guys in the world.

“The guy he’s fighting fought a friend of mine and a training partner of mine, Ante Delija (two years ago), and Ante just destroyed him within a minute or two. Took him down, ground and pounded him and stopped him within the first minute, and now this guy’s fighting Francis Ngannou.

“So, the guy isn’t elite, his opponent. Yeah, he’s big. Yeah, he’s powerful. Yeah, he could knock you out, but he’s not an elite heavyweight. I’m not disrespecting him. The elite guys are not in the PFL. The elite guys are in the UFC. It’s difficult to say that (Ngannou) is the best heavyweight in the world when he isn’t fighting elite guys right now” (h/t BJPenn.com).

Thus far, Renan Ferreira is 13-3 in his MMA career with 11 of his victories coming by way of knockout. He is 7-1 under the PFL banner with three no-contests.

Since Ngannou’s last MMA fight against Ciryl Gane in January 2022, ‘Problema’ has competed eight times.

Is Dana White Plotting to ‘Steal the Spotlight’ from Francis Ngannou and the PFL This Weekend?

With the Professional Fighter League’s biggest event of the year just a few days away, the promotion’s founder thinks…

With the Professional Fighter League’s biggest event of the year just a few days away, the promotion’s founder thinks Dana White is plotting something to try and steal some of the event’s spotlight.

Airing live on pay-per-view, the ‘Battle of the Giants’ card will feature the long-awaited Smart Cage debut of former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. The Predator’ will take on 2023 heavyweight tournament winner Renan Ferreira who earned the opportunity via a 21-second knockout of Bellator titleholder Ryan Bader in February.

With the UFC set to deliver another lackluster card inside The APEX, all eyes will be on the patented Smart Cage as Ngannou vs. Ferreira and a clash between Cris Cyborg and Larissa Pacheco headline a solid night of fights.

However, the promotion’s co-founder, Donn Davis, expects the UFC CEO to deliver a blockbuster announcement of some sort to try and steal their thunder.

“PFL Super Fight Week!” Davis wrote on X. “Francis Ngannou makes his highly anticipated return with PFL MMA! So what will Dana White announce to try to steal spotlight from THE biggest fight of 2024??”

It certainly wouldn’t be the first time White had tried to undercut another promotion’s efforts, but the UFC’s marquee matchup this week being between a couple of low-ranked middleweights, we can’t imagine there’s much White can do to take eyes away from Ngannou’s big night.

Which event will you be watching this weekend?

Check out the full PFL ‘Brace for impact’ PPV card below:

Saturday’s PFL fight card takes place at The Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The main card will air on ESPN+ PPV at 4:00 p.m. ET following prelims on ESPN+ at 1:30 p.m. ET.

Unveiling The PFL Super Fights World Championship Belt and Epic Showdowns Ahead

The PFL is set to introduce a new championship belt for their upcoming “Battle of the Giants” event in…

The PFL is set to introduce a new championship belt for their upcoming “Battle of the Giants” event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This title, known as the PFL Super Fights World Championship Belt, will be on the line in the main event featuring Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira and Cris Cyborg vs. Larissa Pacheco.

PFL Super Fights World Championship Belt

Here are some key features of this new title:

Weight: The belt weighs an impressive 12.5 pounds and is crafted from pure gold.
Shape: It features 10 sides, inspired by the unique design of the PFL SmartCage.
Side Plates: The belt includes side plates representing each weight division in the PFL.

The PFL fight event goes down live from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on October 19.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLQNI7byYek

Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira

Francis Ngannou will be competing for the The PFL Super Fights World Championship Belt. He began training in boxing at the age of 22 and later transitioned to MMA, where he quickly made a name for himself. Ngannou became the UFC Heavyweight Champion before signing with the PFL, where he aims to continue his legacy.

Renan Ferreira, standing at 6 feet 8 inches tall, has made a significant impact in the PFL with his powerful striking and grappling skills. He is best known for his stunning knockout power having KO’d the Bellator Heavyweight King Ryan Bader in just 21 seconds in his most recent fight.

francis ngannou vs renan ferreira faceoff

Cris Cyborg vs. Larissa Pacheco

Cris Cyborg is widely regarded as one of the greatest female mixed martial artists of all time. Cyborg is known for her striking power and aggressive fighting style. As she prepares to face Larissa Pacheco in the co-main event at the upcoming PFL event on October 19, Cyborg aims to solidify her legacy further by claiming another championship.

Larissa Pacheco is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who has quickly risen through the ranks in women’s MMA and is a two-time PFL champion. As she faces Cris Cyborg for the Women’s Featherweight title at the upcoming event, Pacheco is determined to prove herself.

Unveiling The PFL Super Fights World Championship Belt and Epic Showdowns Ahead

The PFL is set to introduce a new championship belt for their upcoming “Battle of the Giants” event in…

PFL Super Fights World Championship Belt

Here are some key features of this new title:

The PFL fight event goes down live from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on October 19.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLQNI7byYek

Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira

Cris Cyborg vs. Larissa Pacheco

MMA lineal titles in the UFC Heavyweight Championship

The UFC heavyweight title lineage, held by Francis Ngannou, includes several prestigious MMA titles that have passed through numerous…

The UFC heavyweight title lineage, held by Francis Ngannou, includes several prestigious MMA titles that have passed through numerous legendary fighters.

MMA lineal titles in the UFC Heavyweight Championship

UFC 1 Lineage:
Royce Gracie ? Kazushi Sakuraba ? Igor Vovchanchyn ? Mark Coleman ? Fedor Emelianenko ? Fabricio Werdum ? Alistair Overeem ? Antônio “Bigfoot” Silva ? Cain Velasquez ? Fabrício Werdum ? Stipe Miocic ? Daniel Cormier ? Stipe Miocic (again) ? Francis Ngannou

UFC Heavyweight Title Lineage:
Mark Coleman ? Maurice Smith ? Randy Couture ? Enson Inoue ? Mark Kerr ? Kazuyuki Fujita ? Mark Coleman ? Fedor Emelianenko ? Fabricio Werdum ? Alistair Overeem ? Antônio “Bigfoot” Silva ? Cain Velasquez ? Fabrício Werdum ? Stipe Miocic ? Daniel Cormier ? Stipe Miocic (again) ? Francis Ngannou

PRIDE FC Heavyweight Title Lineage:
Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira ? Fedor Emelianenko ? Fabricio Werdum ? Alistair Overeem ? Antônio “Bigfoot” Silva ? Cain Velasquez ? Fabrício Werdum ? Stipe Miocic ? Daniel Cormier ? Stipe Miocic (again) ? Francis Ngannou

WAMMA Title Lineage:
Fedor Emelianenko ? Fabricio Werdum ? Alistair Overeem ? Antônio “Bigfoot” Silva ? Cain Velasquez ? Fabrício Werdum ? Stipe Miocic ? Daniel Cormier ? Stipe Miocic (again) ? Francis Ngannou

Strikeforce and Dream Titles Lineage were passed from Alistair Overeem into the mix. WAMMA, Elite XC, and IFL titles were later added.

On October 19, when Francis Ngannou faces Renan Ferreira, the UFC heavyweight title lineage could expand to include the Bellator and PFL titles, adding even more to its legacy.