Francis Ngannou and Renan Ferreira previewed their bout and went face to face at the final press conference ahead of PFL Battle of the Giants. The pair squares off in the main event of PPV fight card live from Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on October 19.
Ngannou (17-3) returns to MMA after a pair of boxing bouts against Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury. The Cameroonian-French former UFC heavyweight champion was KO’d by Joshua in the second round in March and dropped a majority decision against Fury last October. The 38-year-old won his previous MMA bout by unanimous decision against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 in January 2022.
“I would definitely say Renan is at the top of the line,” Francis Ngannou said. “But my entire life, my biggest opponent has always been me. On Saturday night, I am going to get him, so he should be ready.”
“This is an MMA fight, so everything will be on display. We’ve prepared everything, and everything will be on display. On his end, too, I believe he [Ferreira] is preparing some things because he is a jiu-jitsu black belt, and he is not undermining my punching power.”
“Let’s just say I am going to fight strategically and according to how the fight presents itself. In my career, I went for a knockout, but it didn’t work out for me. The times when I did score a knockout, it wasn’t something that I had planned. I know I have 25 minutes, so I am going to lay my game plan down in that 25 minutes and win the fight.”
PFL champion Ferreira (13-3, 3 NC) fights for the second time in 2024. The 34-year-old Brazilian mixed martial artist stopped Ryan Bader in the first round of their “PFL vs Bellator” main event showdown in February.
“Both Francis and I came from humble beginnings,” Renan Ferreira said. “We had an incredible career to reach where we are right now. It is a great honor to be fighting one of the strongest men in the world.”
“We are both complete fighters. We can strike and grapple as well. I am ready to fight wherever the fight goes. The fans can expect a great fight.”
“It’s great to see the support that Riyadh and Saudi Arabia have given to provide incredible opportunities and these amazing events. The hospitality is incredible. This is my second time here, and I love it. People treat me really well, and I think it’s just a great opportunity for all of the fighters to be a part of this.”
The PFL Battle of the Giants final press conference also saw other fighters featured on the card. The co-main event is an all-Brazilian women’s featherweight clash pitting former UFC champion and current Bellator titleholder Cris “Cyborg” (27-2) against two-weight PFL champion Larissa Pacheco (23-4).
Also on the card, Johnny Eblen (15-0) of Des Moines, Iowa defends his Bellator 185 lbs strap in a rematch against Fabian Edwards (13-3) of Jamaica. Former Bellator 145 lbs champion AJ McKee (22-1) of Long Beach, California and Paul Hughes (12-1) of Northern Ireland battle it out at lightweight. Plus, Husein Kadimagomaev (11-1, 1 NC) of Switzerland and Zafar Mohsen (13-4) of Afghanistan meet at featherweight.