Renan Ferreira, the 2023 PFL heavyweight champion, has stated that he will not fight again until he faces former UFC champion Francis Ngannou, and is willing to wait for Ngannou to resume his MMA career.
Renan Ferreira’s got his eyes on the prize. And that prize? A face-off with Francis Ngannou.
He’s the 2023 PFL heavyweight champ, and he’s not stepping back into the ring until he’s up against Ngannou. Ferreira made a name for himself this month in Saudi Arabia, taking down Ryan Bader in the main event of PFL vs. Bellator. The match was hyped by PFL as a stepping stone to a showdown with ex-UFC champ Ngannou.
Ferreira spilled the beans to MMA Fighting. He’s not joining the 2024 PFL season. Instead, he’s playing the waiting game. He’s waiting for Ngannou to get back in the MMA game.
Ngannou, aka “The Predator,” shook things up in 2023. He lost to Tyson Fury in a split decision boxing match. Now, he’s set to face Anthony Joshua on May 8. Depending on how that goes, and the outcome of Fury’s title match with Oleksandr Usyk on May 18, Ngannou’s MMA comeback could be on hold.
Ferreira’s game plan? Sit tight. “At the moment, we will sit and we will wait,” he said. He’s due for some downtime. He’s been fighting in PFL tournaments for three years. It’s been a grind.
Ferreira’s confident that Ngannou will eventually step into the PFL ring. After all, the Cameroonian champ is under contract with the promotion. Plus, PFL’s already teased that the winner of Ferreira vs. Bader gets a shot at Ngannou.
But Ferreira was taken aback when Ngannou left the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh without promoting a future match. “It surprised me a little bit,” Ferreira admitted. He thought they’d do a faceoff. He noticed Ngannou’s awkward smile. He thinks Ngannou realized he’s got a real challenge on his hands.
Ferreira respects Ngannou’s boxing journey. But he’s ready to take him on, whether it’s in the boxing ring or the MMA cage. “Wherever they want, I’ll be ready,” he said.
Ferreira’s record is impressive. He’s 13-3 in MMA, with three no-contests. He’s knocked out his opponents in 11 of his professional wins. Since joining PFL, he’s finished four rivals in less than a minute. He clinched the 2023 heavyweight championship with a knockout of Denis Goltsov.
Ngannou’s been out of the MMA game since January 2022. He defended his UFC heavyweight title with a decision victory over Ciryl Gane. That win was the cherry on top of a six-fight UFC streak. He left the promotion as champion, making history.
Ferreira’s pumped for a match with Ngannou. “It was great motivation for me to have Francis Ngannou watching me there,” he said. He’s excited to fight a champ like Ngannou. “It’s a fight the whole world wants to see,” he added. He was thrilled to have Ngannou there, along with Mike Tyson and Jon Jones. No pressure, right?