Francis Ngannou has his next MMA fight confirmed for October 19, when he faces Renan Ferreira in the main event of PFL Super Fights. The former UFC heavyweight champion of Cameroon and the PFL titleholder of Brazil battle it out for the division’s new championship belt.
Ngannou (17-3) steps inside the MMA cage for the first time since January 2022, when he scored a unanimous decision against Ciryl Gane and retained his UFC title. The 37-year-old fighter claimed the belt by knockout in the second round against Stipe Miocic in March 2021.
In his most recent outing overall in March, Ngannou was KO’d by Anthony Joshua in the second round of their heavyweight boxing match. Last October, the Cameroonian-French mixed martial artist made his pro boxing debut, dropping the then WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury in the third round, yet losing the fight by split decision after 10 rounds.
Ferreira (13-3, 3 NC) of Brazil stopped Ryan Bader in the first round of their PFL vs Bellator clash in February and secured his fourth win a row. Last November, the 34-year-old heavyweight eliminated Denis Goltsov in the second round of the 2023 PFL Tournament final.
“Renan is a great fighter. I have been watching him for years,” Francis Ngannou said. “I have been studying him for years, in fact I’ve been telling people to watch this guy. He’s quite unique, he’s athletic, fast, his size doesn’t impress me as much as his skill.”
Ngannou vs Ferreira tops the fight card billed as “Battle of the Giants: Brace for Impact”. In the co-main event, former UFC 145-pound champion and current Bellator titleholder Cris Cyborg squares off against two-weight PFL champion Larissa Pacheco. The all-Brazilian showdown is set to crown a new champion at women’s featherweight.
Cris Cyborg (27-2) was in action last October, when she scored the first-round TKO against Cat Zingano. With the victory, the 39-year-old reigning Bellator featherweight champion retained her belt and earned the seventh straight victory.
Larissa Pacheco (23-4) won the 2023 PFL women’s featherweight tournament by unanimous decision against Marina Mokhnatkina last November. In 2022, the 29-year-old winner of her last 10 fights took all at lightweight.
Other bouts featured on PFL Super Fights: Ngannou vs Ferreira are expected to be confirmed shortly.