pfl | UFC Betting Sites - The Best MMA Online Bookies

Francis Ngannou’s $2M Payout Deal Praised by Renan Ferreira Ahead of PFL Clash

Francis Ngannou’s $2M Payout Deal Praised by Renan Ferreira Ahead of PFL Clash Renan Ferreira is set to score the biggest payday of his mixed martial arts career and he owes it…

Renan Ferreira is set to score the biggest payday of his mixed martial arts career and he owes it all to Francis Ngannou.

After scoring a 21-second knockout against Bellator champion Ryan Bader in February, Ferreira earned the opportunity to be the former UFC heavyweight champion’s first opponent under the PFL banner. The two titans will square off on Saturday, October 19 when the PFL returns to pay-per-view for the first of its anticipated Super Fights series.

‘Problema’ is going into the fight with his sights set on shocking the world and spoiling Ngannou’s big debut. But even if he comes up short inside the Smart Cage, Ferreira is going to leave Saudi Arabia with a mighty big bag.

Long before their fight was announced, Ngannou made it clear that whoever he competed against in the PFL would walk away with a guaranteed $2 million payday.

Speaking with Sportskeeda MMA, the 2023 PFL heavyweight tournament winner praised Ngannou for trying to take care of his fellow fighters, saying:

“I mean I think it shows who he is and the priority he has. It’s great! I’m sure he understands what it takes to be at this level, to compete at this stage. So I commend him for that.”

Renan Ferreira Believes he and francis ngannou boast similar styles

In 30 combined fights, Francis Ngannou and Renan Ferreira have an incredible 28 finishes between them, 22 of them coming by way of knockout. Boasting similar styles and equally heavy hands, ‘Problema’ expects the fireworks to fly in Kingdom Arena.

“Both Francis and I have similar styles,” Ferreira said. “This just happens to be the style that fans enjoy watching and following. So it’s just two massive guys with heavy hands that go out there and drop people. So what’s not to love?”

The fight will be Ngannou’s first MMA bout since his successful title defense against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 nearly three years ago. In the time since, ‘The Predator’ has competed twice in boxing, going toe-to-toe with Tyson Fury for 10 rounds before suffering a brutal KO loss against Anthony Joshua in March.

Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou – Lookback Ahead of PFL Fight

During the blockbuster bout Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou, the Cameroonian athlete Ngannou exceeded everyone’s expectations as he outpointed…

During the blockbuster bout Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou, the Cameroonian athlete Ngannou exceeded everyone’s expectations as he outpointed the boxing king over 10 rounds. ‘The Predator’ Ngannou will be back in MMA on October 19 in the PFL. Ahead of his matchup, let’s take a look back at his showdown against the heavyweight great Tyson Fury.

Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou

Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou was a highly anticipated boxing match taking place October 28, 2023, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia The event, billed as the “Battle of the Baddest,” pitted WBC heavyweight champion Fury against former UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou, who was making his professional boxing debut.

Ngannou was the UFC heavyweight champion having knocked out Stipe Miocic to capture gold. Next, he defeated top contender Ciryl Gane to defend his brown, he then vacated his title and walked away from the organization due to various disputes. He signed with the PFL and booked a blockbuster boxing match against then-boxing world champion Tyson Fury, Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou went down in 2023.

The fight turned out to be much closer and more competitive than many expected. Both fighters switched stances multiple times throughout the bout, keeping each other guessing. Fury seemed to struggle with the power and was often hesitant to engage. Fury initiated clinches which Ngannou countered perfectly as he was much more skilled in the clinch.

Joe Rogan claims Francis Ngannou and Tyson Fury fight wad fixed they could pull it off

In a shocking moment, Ngannou knocked Fury down with a powerful left hook in the third round. This unexpected turn of events electrified the crowd and raised the possibility of a major upset. Despite the knockdown, Fury managed to recover and continue fighting focusing on the jab and body jab while avoiding exchanges. The bout went the full 10 rounds, with both men having their moments.

Francis Ngannou calls for rematch with Tyson Fury in next fight it's what I want next — Mandatory Credit: Justin Setterfield

In the end of Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou, Fury was awarded a split decision victory, with the judges’ scorecards reading 94-95, 96-93, and 95-94 in his favor. However, many observers felt the decision was controversial, with some believing Ngannou had done enough to win.

Fury, widely considered one of the best heavyweights in the world, was expected to dominate Ngannou, who had never boxed professionally before. Instead, Ngannou put on an impressive performance that earned him respect from the boxing community and raised questions about Fury’s form.

The PFL champion Renan Ferreira is just coming off a 21-second knockout against the Bellator heavyweight champion Ryan Bader and will next face Francis Ngannou in the PFL on October 19.

Renan Ferreira Stats: ‘Problema’ Breakdown Ahead of Francis Ngannou Fight

The towering Brazilian knockout machine ‘Problema’ Renan Ferreira is coming off the biggest win of his career with a…

The towering Brazilian knockout machine ‘Problema’ Renan Ferreira is coming off the biggest win of his career with a 21-second knockout against the Bellator heavyweight king, and now he looks to defeat Francis Ngannou the lineal MMA world champion. Let’s break down more information on Renan Ferreira.

How Tall Is Renan Ferreira?

The Brazilian Ferreira is a towering presence in MMA, standing at an impressive 6 feet 8 inches tall (2.03 m). This Brazilian heavyweight has been making waves in the PFL and is now set to face one of the most formidable opponents in his career. With his 6’8″ frame and a reach that extends to 85 inches, he poses a significant challenge to any opponent.

Renan Ferreira Record

Brazil’s Ferreira boasts an impressive 13 wins and 3 losses, with a whopping 11 of his wins coming by way of KO and 1 by submission. Ferreira is known for his speed and explosive strength, which are unusual for a heavyweight of his stature.

Ferreira’s most notable title is the 2023 PFL Heavyweight Championship, and he is now on the cusp of potentially winning another prestigious title in his upcoming bout against Ngannou.

Ryan Bader vs Renan Ferreira

Ferreira’s most recent high-profile fight was against Ryan Bader in February 2024. In a stunning display of power, Ferreira knocked out the longtime Bellator champion in just 21 seconds. This was the Bellator Heavyweight Champion being knocked out by the PFL heavyweight champion. Watch Ryan Bader vs Renan Ferreira right here.

When is Francis Ngannou vs Renan Ferreira?

The highly anticipated bout between Ferreira and Francis Ngannou is scheduled for October 19, 2024. This bout of titans will headline the PFL’s “Battle of the Giants” event, which is set to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The fight will be available on ESPN+ pay-per-view in the U.S. and DAZN worldwide.

Renan PFL — 2024 PFL vs Bellator at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024. (Cooper Neill / PFL & Bellator)

Renan Ferreira Stats: ‘Problema’ Breakdown Ahead of Francis Ngannou Fight

The towering Brazilian knockout machine ‘Problema’ Renan Ferreira is coming off the biggest win of his career with a…

How Tall Is Renan Ferreira?

Renan Ferreira Record

Ferreira’s most notable title is the 2023 PFL Heavyweight Championship, and he is now on the cusp of potentially winning another prestigious title in his upcoming bout against Ngannou.

Ryan Bader vs Renan Ferreira

When is Francis Ngannou vs Renan Ferreira?

The Return of the Predator: Francis Ngannou Warns Renan Ferreira Ahead of Showdown

Francis Ngannou is excited to return to the cage after nearly three years away. As he prepares for his…

Francis Ngannou is excited to return to the cage after nearly three years away. As he prepares for his upcoming fight against Renan Ferreira on October 19, Ngannou warns his opponent that he is facing a different kind of challenge, stating that Ferreira will discover this in a difficult way.

Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira

The lineal MMA world champion, who captured the UFC heavyweight title, Francis Ngannou signed with the PFL after walking away from the UFC. Since then, he has had two major blockbuster boxing matches against champions Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. Now, he is coming back into MMA against the towering Brazilian Renan Ferreira.

Renan Ferreira is a PFL world champion who just knocked out the Bellator heavyweight king Ryan Bader in merely 21 seconds. Ferreira and Francis Ngannou are set for a bout live from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on October 19.

Ngannou shared that his body is holding up well after undergoing knee surgery over two years ago, which took a long recovery period. He feels strong and ready for the fight. He explained:

“My body is holding up well…Obviously I had a knee surgery that was over two years, two years and a half [ago] now and it took me quite a long time, over a year, to really get back, but now I’m very strong. By the time that I get back into fight, I get very strong, so yes I can kick even though kicking is not like, my cup of tea but I do kick.

“I just turned 38 so I would say my retire age, I’m targeting around 41 as average…42. It could be 40 but this is like, just in the exceptional case…I’d just like to say I want to leave the sport before the sport leaves me. You know, I would like to leave at [the] top of my game.” [Ht Sportskeeda]

On the upcoming fight, he added:

“What I will say is that he [Ferreira] knows that he has a different beast in front of him – nothing he has ever faced. I hope he knows that because if not, he’s going to find out in not a nice way.”

PFL Set to Surge Past $100M in Revenue: “PFL has secured the No. 2 position, and it’s not even close.”

The PFL is expected to make over $100 million in revenue this year, a significant increase largely due to…

The PFL is expected to make over $100 million in revenue this year, a significant increase largely due to a 75% rise in sponsorship money. In a recent interview, PFL’s founder, Donn Davis, emphasized that this growth comes as they begin competing more directly with the UFC.

PFL and Growth

PFL has backing from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which is valued at around $1 billion. The organization is working to capture more market share from the UFC by signing high-profile fighters like Ngannou and Jake Paul, acquiring Bellator, and creating events across different countries. This year, PFL’s revenue is more than double what it earned last year, with Davis claiming they have secured the second spot in the MMA market behind UFC.

Francis Ngannou confirms plan for PFL debut fight with Renan Ferreira in October

Speaking to Adam Stern, Davis outlined the three major goals of the PFL:

“If you rewind two years ago, there were three companies vying for the No. 2 position: ONE Championship, PFL and Bellator. And everyone in the market now says that game is over — PFL has secured the No. 2 position, and it’s not even close. Now it’s a duopoly and there’s only two premium providers in the world.

“Our No. 2 goal was to double our number of Top 25 ranked fighters in the world. The PFL now has 85. UFC has 190, but they put on twice as many events as us, so if you equalize it, we have the same number of top fighters in the world. And our No. 3 goal is we want to have a successful second signature fight product.

“There’s the PFL global season and everyone knows that but we wanted to hold more events and to continue to do that, we needed a new format and fighters to stock it, and that’s where the Bellator Champions Series comes in. So we’re making good progress but there’s still work to be done.”

Additionally, PFL has recently started building a fan base in the Middle East and launched its PFL Europe division. Their Saudi investors are measuring the league’s success based on three criteria: becoming a co-leader in MMA, achieving strong business performance, and developing its presence in the Middle East and North Africa. Overall, the PFL is growing rapidly and aims to expand its global presence while directly competing with the UFC.

While the UFC US television distribution deal is up for discussion in 2025, the PFL TV rights are up for grabs upcoming in 2026. They’ve worked closely with ESPN domestically and DAZN internationally.

The league is preparing for a major event in Riyadh this month featuring former UFC champion Francis Ngannou. The lineal MMA world titleholder Ngannou will take on the knockout machine Renan Ferreira on October 19.