Francis Ngannou, a Cameroonian fighter, is returning to the MMA scene to challenge Renan Ferreira of Brazil for the PFL heavyweight title. The fight is scheduled for Saturday, October 19, with the ring walks starting at 11pm. It will take place at Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and they will be fighting for the PFL Super Fights heavyweight championship belt. The duration of the MMA fight will be spread over five rounds of five minutes each, totaling 25 minutes. The custom cage for the fight will be called the PFL SmartCage.
Ngannou began his career in France in 2013 and later became the UFC heavyweight champion in 2021 before signing with the PFL in 2023. He has also pursued boxing, facing Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua in Riyadh. Renan Ferreira, on the other hand, is a Brazilian fighter who joined the PFL in 2023 and won the heavyweight title by defeating Denis Goltsov. Both fighters have humble beginnings and have had successful MMA careers leading up to this title fight.
Ngannou has a record of 17 wins and 3 losses in his MMA fights, with most wins coming by knockout. Ferreira, on the other hand, has a record of 13 wins and 3 losses, also with a majority of wins by knockout. Ngannou has expressed confidence in his abilities and plans to fight strategically for a knockout victory while acknowledging Ferreira’s skills as a jiu-jitsu black belt. Ferreira, on the other hand, is ready to face Ngannou as a complete fighter, prepared to strike and grapple as needed in the fight.
The main fight will be preceded by four events featuring other fighters, including Cris “Cyborg” and Larissa Pacheco. The undercard fights leading up to the main event will showcase five fights in different weight classes. Ngannou has not left boxing for MMA, as he has been pursuing both sports simultaneously since his departure from the UFC in 2023. Fans can follow the Ngannou vs Ferreira fight live on various platforms, with Al Jazeera providing live coverage through text and photos from 15:00 GMT.
