Renan Ferreira considers Tom Aspinall the UFC’s most dangerous heavyweight despite Jon Jones‘ legendary status, and envisions a PFL vs. UFC heavyweight tournament, while preparing for his significant fight against Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia.
Tom Aspinall, the UFC interim heavyweight champ, is set as the backup fighter for the UFC 309 showdown between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic on Nov. 16. Yet, in an unexpected twist, PFL star Renan Ferreira deems Aspinall the most dangerous heavyweight in the UFC today.
Ferreira, known as “Problema,” steps into the PFL cage this Saturday in Saudi Arabia for a career-defining bout. He faces ex-UFC champion Francis Ngannou, who’s returning from his boxing stint. Interestingly, Ferreira doesn’t rank Jones as the top heavyweight in the octagon.
“I reckon Aspinall’s the toughest right now,” Ferreira shared with MMA Fighting. “He’s young and climbing fast. But hey, Jon Jones? He’s the GOAT—super experienced and all that jazz. You can’t just brush him off.”
PFL co-founder Donn Davis recently floated a wild idea: a “winner takes all” tournament featuring PFL stars Larissa Pacheco and Cris Cyborg against UFC’s Kayla Harrison and Julianna Peña. Ferreira’s thrilled by the thought of a similar heavyweight clash between PFL and UFC.
“A clash of giants, huh?” Ferreira chuckled. “Fans would love it—different styles, epic battles. It’d be a spectacle.”
Realistically, though, it’s doubtful the UFC would bite on such an offer. Ferreira still ponders how Jones will fare against heftier competition. Since moving up, Jones has only fought once, easily submitting Ciryl Gane. Meanwhile, Aspinall has dominated with eight stoppage wins in nine UFC fights.
“[Jones] seemed heavier and struggled with strikes,” Ferreira remarked about Jones’ fight with Gane. “He hasn’t yet faced true heavyweights with knockout power; he might find it challenging.”
With a win this weekend, Ferreira could arguably claim lineal heavyweight champ status since Ngannou left UFC without losing the belt. However, he’s unsure if fans would see it that way.
“The UFC’s still massive,” Ferreira admitted. “Their champs are undisputed, but I’m carving my path by fighting top-tier opponents. Fame? Not my focus—it’s about passion and legacy.”
The epic battle between Ngannou and Ferreira unfolds this Saturday at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.