Francis Ngannou and Renan Ferreira meet Saturday in the main event of PFL: Battle of the Giants at The Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.
Francis Ngannou vs Renan Ferreira PFL Super Fights preview
Ngannou (17-3) hasn’t competed in MMA since successfully defending the UFC heavyweight championship against Ciryl Gane in January 2022. Ngannou fought Tyson Fury and lost a split decision then followed up that sterling performance by taking on Anthony Joshua this past March, a fight in which he was dominated and lost by second-round knockout. In MMA, Ngannou has won six fights in a row dating back to November 2018, with five finishes during that span. … Ferreira (13-3) is the reigning 2023 PFL heavyweight champion after scoring three knockouts last season. Ferreira is coming off a 21-second dismantling of Bellator heavyweight champ Ryan Bader this past February.
Francis Ngannou vs Renan Ferreira expert pick, prediction
A PFL heavyweight tournament winner who is already accruing an insane highlight reel, Ferreira has proven to be an undeniable force in this weight class.
Not only is Ferreira massive in all the measurements that are the primary talking points for MMA pundits and gamblers alike, but the Brazilian can move surprisingly well for a man of his size and skills only appear to be improving since he moved shop stateside to train at American Top Team.
Although Ferreira’s ground game is still a work in progress, “Problema” has been seemingly upgrading his striking presence a la Alex Pereira imitations in the way in which he’s jabbing to the body and kicking at calves.
These weapons, of course, will be a potent two-way street when facing a fighter with some length parity who can also jab and low kick.
Enter Ngannou.
Jan 22, 2022; Anaheim, California, USA; Francis Ngannou (red gloves) before his fight against Ciryl Gane during UFC 270 at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Although MMA’s beloved lineal heavyweight champ was last seen hitting the canvas opposite Anthony Joshua in a boxing bout, it’s hard to question the life-changing power that Ngannou possesses.
From the lead-hand work he displayed against Stipe Miocic to the ability to adjust demonstrated against Ciryl Gane, Ngannou – with the help of bright minds like Eric Nicksick and company – will undoubtedly be the more flexible fighter from a tactical standpoint.
That said, for as natural as wrestling has seemingly come to Ngannou, it’s hard to know just how sharp those tools will be given everything that has been going on in his life (in and out of the ring).
For that reason, I can understand why anyone would be tempted to take a flier on the underdog in Ferreira.
Aside from heavyweight MMA being the most volatile sector of a volatile sport, Ferreira has legitimate counters that could hurt Ngannou that range from intercepting hooks to sneaky lifting knees. In fact, I believe that countering will be a key dynamic in this contest.
For as good as Ferreira’s offense is, the towering Brazilian is not beyond being countered. However, Ferreira is also at his best when he is the one with the striking initiative, so being able to take that away from the PFL tournament champion is also a big factor for those who have had success against him – – which is usually accomplished via a heavy wrestling-based attack.
I’m not sure if Ngannou can or will come out of the gate looking to wrestle, but I do suspect that those opportunities will naturally present themselves the longer this fight progresses. I also think that Ngannou’s countering presence will be a factor regarding winning or stalemating exchanges (as I wouldn’t be entirely shocked to see portions of this fight resemble the staring contest Ngannou had with Derrick Lewis).
Aggressive exchanges will be your usual heavyweight coin flip scenarios, but I can’t help but stick with Ngannou as far as a side goes.
My inherent bias toward Ngannou’s camp aside, Ngannou is the more proven product both on the feet and the floor.
I’ll be happy to see Ferreira get his guaranteed $2 million, but the official pick – so long as neither party immediately steals the other’s consciousness – is for Ngannou to drag things out a bit from a shaky start to find a ground-and-pound stoppage by the end of Round 3.
Francis Ngannou vs Renan Ferreira odds
Despite the oddsmakers opening the champion as a wider favorite, public money has come trickling in on the challenger, listing Ngannou (-310) and Ferreira (+225) via FanDuel.
Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira start time, how to watch
As the main event, Ngannou and Ferreira are expected to walk out to the cage at approximately 7 p.m. ET. The fight will stream on ESPN+ pay-per-view in the U.S. and DAZN pay-per-view internationally.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL: Battle of the Giants.
