WASHINGTON, DC — Renan Ferreira faced off against the sport’s most feared heavyweight boxer. How did he react? “No problem.”
Professional Fighters League heavyweight champion Renan Ferreira faces the biggest opportunity of his career on October 19. The main attraction of the event, titled “Battle of the Giants: Brace for Impact,” will see the 6-foot-8 powerhouse take on former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight beltholder and current boxer Francis Ngannou. With the stakes being the heavy favorite, Ferreira isn’t worried about being overlooked in the matchup.
Speaking to the media at a press conference on Thursday, Ferreira was respectful and complimentary of his opponent, but also spoke of the confidence and self-belief he had accepting a matchup with the famed Ngannou. “Problema” noted that his activity level compared to his opponent could make a difference, and that his power could surprise the hard-hitting Cameroonian. As for the former UFC great, Ferreira said everything he imagined about Ngannou turned out to be true in their first showdown.
“It’s a great honour to be here,” said the Brazilian. “I’m very happy to have this opportunity to fight someone like Francis Ngannou. Francis is an incredible athlete. I’ve followed his career for a long time and have long admired his career and his accomplishments. Meeting him in person just solidifies my opinion of him. He’s a big man with a lot of power.”
Ferreira was not shy about his praise, but also pointed out that Ngannou, who has competed in two high-risk boxing bouts with Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, has been away from MMA competition for quite some time. Ferreira believes Ngannou’s time away from the cage will hinder him in his potential matchup against an extreme couture fighter. Ferreira is confident in Ngannou’s finishing ability and believes he can get the job done no matter how the fight unfolds.
“Two and a half years is a long time to be away from the sport, but the cage is the cage. Another challenge awaits. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, he has big problems ahead of him. He knows I have the knockout power, I can take him to the ground and submit him,” Ferreira said through a translator. Ferreira later had to explain that these comments were about Ngannou’s fighting ability, not what happened outside the cage.
While Ngannou has had plenty of success in the UFC, Ferreira has not disappointed during his time in the PFL. Both fighters have big wins over notable, top-ranked opponents, and the Brazilian doesn’t want to be overlooked by anyone. In the PFL cage, Ferreira has finished his last two bouts as an underdog against Fabricio Werdum and Rizvan Kniev, but both losses were later overturned due to opponent issues.
“I know the accolades I’ve received and what I bring to the table,” “Problema” explained. “I know what I’ve done for the sport here in the PFL. Once I’m locked in the cage, it doesn’t matter whose name is called first or who says what. A fight is a fight.”
