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.
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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.”