Francis Ngannou is set to make his highly anticipated return to MMA as he prepares for his Professional Fighters League (PFL) debut. The former UFC heavyweight champion will face 2023 title winner Renan Ferreira in a heavyweight showdown that has fans buzzing.
After more than two years away from the sport, Ngannou is ready to reclaim his position as one of the most dangerous fighters in the world.
Ngannou’s last MMA fight was a successful title defense against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270. In early 2023, after a failed contract negotiation, he parted ways with the UFC and was stripped of his heavyweight title.
During his absence from MMA, Ngannou ventured into professional boxing, taking on top-tier opponents in Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. Despite a controversial split decision loss to Fury and a knockout defeat to Joshua, Ngannou remains confident in his skills.
In the lead-up to his return, Ngannou was asked to rank heavyweight stars. He listed Jon Jones, Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk, and Stipe Miocic in the “great” category, while Tom Aspinall was placed in the “good” group.
As for his upcoming opponent Renan Ferreira, Ngannou had a clear and confident message. Speaking to ESPN MMA, he said:
“He’s great, but I am greater.”
Eric Nicksick weighs in on PFL’s marketing for Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira
Renowned MMA coach Eric Nicksick has voiced concerns over the PFL’s marketing strategy for the upcoming heavyweight title fight between Francis Ngannou and Renan Ferreira. Nicksick, who coaches the former UFC champion, believes the promotion has failed to emphasize the magnitude of the title bout.
Speaking with MMA Fighting, Nicksick expressed frustration that the focus has been more on the fighters’ knockout power than the significance of the championship at stake:
“I literally forgot we’re fighting for a title. But it’s like, ‘Oh, we get another title fight.’ You think of a five-rounder or whatever else; it’s like that’s how much it hasn’t been promoted. Like, we know it’s a title fight in the back of my mind, but I had to reassure myself that we’re fighting for a title here… I want to hear that more rather than just about these two giants fighting. This is for the PFL title. This is huge, man, so I don’t know. I just wish it was promoted a little bit better too.”
