Renan
Ferreira stands just two victories away from a life-changing
moment.
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The Brazilian known as “Problema” will square off against Maurice
Greene in the heavyweight semifinals at PFL 8 on Friday night
at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York. The evening’s
main card airs on ESPN and ESPN+ at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, with
Ferreira vs. Greene serving as the featured attraction. Ferreira is
well aware of the magnitude of what lies ahead.
“I’ve gone through phases in my life where I didn’t have something
to eat, I didn’t have a place to sleep. This for me is a
culmination of a dream already,” Ferreira said through a translator
during a press conference on Monday. “To be out here fighting in
the semifinals, to have an opportunity to hold the belt, to be
fighting in a major promotion, this is already the culmination of
my dream. Going out there and winning $1 million, changing the
financial status of my family, this is what matters to me.”
Ferreira was originally supposed to face Marcelo
Nunes in the bracket, but Greene stepped in as a replacement
after Nunes suffered an injury. Ferreira is confident that he will
perform well despite the change.
“Once you’re in this tournament, you know you’re gonna fight tough
guys regardless of who it is…it doesn’t really matter,” he said.
“Obviously you have to change and adjust training just from a
perspective of the opponent’s fortes. I just feel extremely well
prepared mentally and physically.”
There was some back-and-forth banter between the two heavyweights
on Monday during the media event, as Greene questioned Ferreira’s
ability to engage on the canvas.
“You go back and look at his fights, as a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black
belt, there’s no jiu-jitsu,” Greene said. “I’m curious who gave him
that s—t, or if he went and bought it at Macy’s or something.”
According to Ferreira, Greene is simply trying to avoid exchanging
against an opponent who is known for quick finishes on the
feet.
“He just wants to provoke me, really,” Ferreira said. “He wants to
try to change my game plan. He’s just scared of my hands. He knows
once these hands touch him, he’s gonna feel it.”
With that being said, Ferreira is also aware that Greene presents a
formidable challenge with his size and skills.
“He knows how to scrap, he knows how to move. He’s a tall guy. He’s
got good reach on him, he’s got really good boxing,” Ferreira said.
“He knows how to make his opponents make mistakes and capitalize on
it.”
Ultimately, Ferreira plans on imposing his will against the UFC
veteran.
“If you watch my fights, you see I only know one way — that’s to
move forward,” Ferreira said. “Just look at the results. He’s just
trying to find a way to destabilize me and put me off my game. He’s
the scared one here.”