WASHINGTON D.C. — Renan Ferreira is matched up against arguably the scariest heavyweight in the sport. How has he responded? No “Problema.”
Professional Fighters League heavyweight champion Renan Ferreira will have the biggest opportunity of his career on Oct. 19. In the main attraction of the gala event titled “Battle of the Giants: Brace for Impact”, the 6-foot-8 powerhouse will come to blows with former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight beltholder-turned-boxer Francis Ngannou. As a fairly significant betting underdog, Ferreira is not worried about being overlooked heading into their matchup.
Speaking to the media at Thursday’s press conference, a respectful Ferreira complimented his opponent, but also discussed his self-belief and confidence to accept a bout against the vaunted Ngannou. “Problema” noted how his activity level compared to his opponent could make a difference, and that his power could surprise the heavy-handed Cameroonian. When it came to the former UFC great, Ferreira said everything he imagined about Ngannou was true during their first face-off.
“It was a great honor to be here,” the Brazilian stated. “I am ecstatic to have this opportunity and to be able to fight someone the caliber of Francis Ngannou. Francis is a great athlete. I have been following his career for a very long time. I have been impressed by his career and his feats for a very long time. Meeting him in person has only solidified what I thought about him. He is a big man with big power.”
While not shying away from praise, Ferreira also pointed out that Ngannou, who took a pair of high-stakes boxing against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, has been away from MMA competition for quite some time. It is Ferreira’s belief that Ngannou’s time away from the cage could hinder the Xtreme Couture fighter in their pairing. Confident in his finishing abilities, Ferreira believes he can get the job done anywhere the fight goes.
“Two and a half years is a long time away from the sport, but the cage is a cage. It’s going to bring other challenges. I said it before and I will say it again, he has a big problem ahead of him. He knows I have knockout power, and I can take him down to the ground and submit him,” Ferreira said through his translator, among comments he later had to explain were in regards to Ngannou’s fighting ability and not in relation to happenings outside of the cage.
Despite Ngannou having plenty of success in the UFC, Ferreira has not disappointed during his PFL tenure. With both men celebrating marquee wins over noteworthy, top-ranked adversaries, the Brazilian does not want anyone to overlook him. In the PFL cage, Ferreira closed as the underdog on two past occasions—against Fabricio Werdum and Rizvan Kuniev—and both instances were losses later overturned due to his opponents’ issues.
“I know my accolades and what I bring to the table,” “Problema” explained. “I know what I’ve done for the sport here at the PFL. Once we get locked inside the cage, it doesn’t really matter whose name was said first or who said anything. A fight is a fight.”
