Francis Ngannou and Renan Ferreira dragged apart by security in heated final face-off ahead of PFL Super Fights showdown

Donagh Corby October 18, 2024

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Francis Ngannou and Renan Ferreira dragged apart by security in heated final face-off ahead of PFL Super Fights showdown

Francis Ngannou and Renan Ferreira finally made their massive showdown official as they tipped the scales in Riyadh today.

The former UFC heavyweight champion holds the unofficial the lineal title, and will defend it in his PFL debut against 2023 Global Season winner Ferreira in the Saudi capital. Ngannou had spent the past year boxing, almost defeating then WBC-champion Tyson Fury before losing to Anthony Joshua.

Tomorrow night, he returns to the cage under the PFL banner at the Mayadeen in Saudi Arabia. He tipped the scales his lowest weight since 2019 after allowing himself to fight above the MMA limit of 265lb during his foray into the ring.

Who is Francis Ngannou? Inside the former UFC heavyweight champion’s journey from poverty to combat sports superstardom

Francis Ngannou and Renan Ferreira share intense final face-off

Francis Ngannou and Renan Ferreira weighed in at a massive combined 519lb for their ‘Battle of the Giants’ showdown during early weigh-ins. And both looked gigantic as they faced off one final time at the Mayadeen for a ceremonial event on Friday evening.

Ngannou dropped almost 15lb to get down to 257lb for the fight after coming in at 272lb for his showdown with Joshua in March. Meanwhile, Ferreira was just under 262lb, more or less the same as his February defeat of Bellator champion Ryan Bader at the promotion’s Champions vs Champions event.

With UFC legend Dan Hardy standing between them, Ngannou and Ferreira made contact in an intense head-to-head. And ultimately security had to drag them apart in a tense final moment, as Ngannou goaded Ferreira by asking him ‘who is the king?’

Francis Ngannou teases display of ground skills in Renan Ferreira showdown

After two years dedicated to training for boxing, fans have been interested to see how Ngannou will adjust back to the MMA discipline. He managed to drop one of the ring’s biggest names in Fury during his run over the past year, and he was never renowned for his ground game prior to switching over.

But he did utilise his wrestling to great success against Ciryl Gane in his sole UFC title defence; the last time fans saw him inside the octagon. So it remains to be seen how he will approach the fight with Ferreira, who is also renowned for his work on the feet.

“This is an MMA fight, so everything will be on display,” Ngannou said at yesterday’s press conference We’ve prepared everything, and everything will be on display. On his end, too, I believe he is preparing some things because he is a jiu-jitsu black belt, and he is not undermining my punching power.”

Renan Ferreira is ‘honored’ to fight Francis Ngannou

While Ferreira is a decorated heavyweight in his own right, he has never faced an opponent with the name value of Francis Ngannou before. His PFL tournament win came against the much lesser-known Denis Goltsov, and even Ryan Bader is more renowned for his run at light-heavyweight.

He expressed his respect for the Cameroonian during their press conference yesterday, saying: “Both Francis and I came from humble beginnings. We had an incredible career to reach where we are right now. It is a great honor to be fighting one of the strongest men in the world.

“Definitely we are both complete fighters. We can strike and grapple as well. I am ready to fight wherever the fight goes. The fans can expect a great fight.”