It’s safe to say that Ryan Bader
and Renan
Ferreira have their eyes on the prize. In this case, that can
apply to more than thing.
Advertisement
Bader, the reigning Bellator
heavyweight champ, and Ferreira, the defending
PFL 2023 heavyweight king, will square off in the main event of
the
PFL vs. Bellator card on Feb. 24 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Both
men recognize the magnitude of a cross-promotional event that
features some of the top talents in PFL and Bellator.
“It’s a huge deal,” Bader said at a press conference in Hollywood,
Florida, on Wednesday. “It doesn’t happen in MMA. All the fans are
wanting these superfights. A lot of organizations don’t want to
risk putting there champions out there. I love it. The whole card
if you look at it, it’s stacked.”
Added Ferreira: “It’s a special moment for the fans. it’s a special
moment for the sport. I feel honored to be in this position as the
main event to fight against a guy with the credentials that
Ryan
Bader has. I’m just excited to get there. You know my fight
style, always pressing the action, moving forward. Excited to put
on a show.”
Bader is the more established commodity. He was a UFC light
heavyweight contender for years before signing with Bellator, where
he was a champion at both 205 pounds and heavyweight. Ferreira,
meanwhile, is an imposing physical specimen at 6-foot-8 and more
than 260 pounds. The Brazilian known as “Problema” doesn’t have the
resume of his opponent, but he put everything together to claim the
PFL heavyweight crown with three consecutive KO/TKO victories to
close out his 2023 campaign.
“I have 40-some fights. He has quite a bit less,” Bader said. “I’ve
stood across from everybody: legends of the sport, champions,
former champions. I’ve been fighting five-round fights since I can
remember. I’m proven in that aspect.
“He’s an amazing fighter. He’s huge. He’s fun to watch, and it’s
one of those challenges where I’m going to have to dictate what I
do. I just feel like I have more tools. He’s a giant man in there
swinging hard. You never know what happens.”
Ferreira, in turn, has plenty of respect for the accomplishments of
his 40-year-old adversary.
“I’ve been following his career for a very long time. I’ve watched
his fights live,” Ferreira said. “I think he’s a great athlete. His
wrestling credentials speak for themselves. He mixes that well with
his striking, too. It’s a great honor to face off against him.”
While Bader vs. Ferreira is a significant cross promotional matchup
in itself, Francis
Ngannou looms large over the entire heavyweight division in
both organizations. Ngannou’s stock has never been higher after he
took heavyweight boxing champ Tyson Fury
to the brink of defeat this past October. While “The Predator” has
repeatedly stated that he isn’t done with MMA, his next boxing
match is already booked. Ngannou will meet Anthony
Joshua on March 8 in Saudi Arabia.
After that, Bader and Ferreira would be eager to welcome him back
to the MMA realm.
“100%. That’s one of the fights [I want],” Bader said. “He’s got a
boxing fight coming up. I think it’s perfect timing. We get this
done and the winner gets that opportunity. A former UFC champion,
he just had an amazing fight with Tyson Fury
and put everybody on notice.
“I’m not looking past Renan, but get that done, 100%.”
Ferreira seconded that assessment while adding a little intrigue of
his own.
“I feel like it’s undeniable,” he said. “If everything goes as
planned, yeah. After Feb. 24, Francis is the name. And that being
said, I’ll be ready to go however he wants to do it. If he wants to
do it in MMA, in boxing, we’ll be ready.”