Francis Ngannou has been out of the cage since 2022. His career has seen him take on side missions that many fighters could only dream of. Now, “The Predator” is ready to compete in MMA again.
Standing in his way is a feared knockout artist, Renan Ferreira, and he didn’t flinch during the “Battle of the Giants” press conference. He has proven to be a real threat to “The Predator” in the cage, the first in a long time. They are scheduled to meet on October 19 in Saudi Arabia, competing in the Super Fight pision.
It’s a moment Ngannou has been waiting for since signing with the PFL in 2023 with the promise of a massive fight and equal pay for fighters.
Ngannou (17-3) defeated Stipe Miocic at UFC 260 to win the UFC heavyweight title. He left the UFC in 2023 following contract disputes. The 37-year-old entered the PFL to develop the Super Fight PPV pision and became an ambassador for PFL Africa.
LOOK: Francis Ngannou’s PFL debut, exclusively on ESPN+
But he entered the boxing world first, according to a clause in his contract. Ngannou knocked out Tyson Fury in a losing fight and was recently knocked out by Anthony Joshua.
When he steps into the SmartCage in October, it will be 1,001 days since his last MMA fight. One might assume he’s on the fence about competing, but Ngannou isn’t worried about anything.
“I’m very excited, but also a little nervous. I haven’t been here for a long time. I remember when I came back to the gym two months ago, I was nervous as if I had forgotten how to fight. Once I got back on the mat, it was like I had never left,” Ngannou said at a press conference attended by Ferreira.
The Cameroonian, who worked in sand mines as a child, has had an inspiring career. Now he returns to a sport where he put fear in the eyes of his opponents as he entered the cage.
Ngannou’s return comes after the death of his 15-month-old son in April as a result of an undiagnosed brain malformation. He decided to continue his career as the best way to remember Kobe.
“It’s not just about getting back to MMA. It’s about getting back to activity. In combat sports in general. Getting back to what I love. I always have a purpose, the reason why I’m doing it,” Ngannou said. “Lately, things have been a little bit tough. I haven’t questioned myself if I have to continue or if I should just hang up the gloves. But then I realized that should be a purpose for me. I didn’t get the chance to fight because of my son. I think this is it.
“My relationship with wrestling hasn’t changed yet,” Ngannou said. “For me, wrestling is not a job. It’s a part of me, a part of who I am. I don’t wrestle while I work. I wrestle while I live. From time to time, life has ups and downs. Sometimes, you have doubts… I have the same relationship and I will prove it on October 19.”
Ngannou faces Ferreira (13-3, 3 NC), a fighter who has eleven knockout wins. The Brazilian has not lost a PFL fight since 2022. He beat Denis Goltsov by TKO to win the 2023 heavyweight tournament. “Trouble” earned the only PFL win against a Bellator fighter in February and a shot at Ngannou when he took less than a minute to knock out Ryan Bader.
Ferreira believes his knockout power and wrestling ability may be enough to defeat Ngannou. While Ngannou is not interested in labels, Ferreira believes the fight will seal the deal on who is the best heavyweight in the world. Even with ring rust, Ngannou is not as worried as you might expect against someone like “Trouble.”
“We are all a problem to some extent. He has definitely been a problem for some people, but for me, he is not a problem,” Ngannou said.
The time for talking is over. Now it’s time to wait and see if the “Predator” of old has returned.
