Francis Ngannou’s ‘Problem’: Renan Ferreira

From his impoverished upbringing in Cameroon’s sand quarries to surviving on the streets of Paris, Francis Ngannou was born with the resilience—and earth-shattering power—of a champion.

It took years to develop his skills, but Ngannou’s journey from being an unpolished brawer to an undisputed champion made him the face of the sport. Critics coined him a hype job, bust and a disappointment after back-to-back losses to Stipe Miocic and Derrick Lewis. Those same doubters were left speechless after Ngannou brutally snatched Miocic’s Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight title in two rounds just three years later.

The haters still would not stop.

Ciryl Gane was supposed to be too fast and slick for a first-title defense. As a former sparring partner, Gane knew Ngannou’s weaknesses better than anyone, and if he could handle “The Predator” in training, beating him while he was coming off two torn knee ligaments would be even more likely, right? Maybe detractors should ask Gane how easy it was to get manhandled and controlled for five rounds. Despite Ngannou’s ability to live up to the moniker of “Baddest Man on the Planet,” there were still those who wanted to see him fall inside—and outside—the Octagon.

UFC President Dana White wouldn’t even put the belt around Ngannou’s waist, let alone allow him to box outside the company’s purview. White’s smear campaign of the former champion seemed effective before Ngannou signed an unprecedented deal with the Professional Fighters League. Not only did the agreement give Ngannou the freedom he wanted, but he also selflessly looked out for the fighters who would eventually face him in the PFL SmartCage.

After crushing the UFC’s best competition, Ngannou finally reached the pinnacle of combat sports when he put forth one of the most inspiring performances in boxing history. Going 10 rounds and dropping the reigning heavyweight champion Tyson Fury in a contentious decision defeat transformed Ngannou into a modern-day folk hero. Richer than he could have ever imagined, Ngannou, 38, could have retired and retreated to a life of luxury. However, he lives for a challenge. “The Predator” has never been one to run away from his problems, but in the PFL Super Fights “Battle of the Giants: Brace for Impact” main event on Oct. 19 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, he will face one that might just be beyond him.

At a towering 6-foot-8, weighing 263 pounds and hailing from Santa Tereza, Brazil, Renan Ferreira is larger than life. The 2023 PFL heavyweight tournament winner has the power to put giants to sleep, which is precisely what he plans to do to Ngannou at The Mayadeen in a matter of days. Not only is Ferreira, 34, four years younger than the former champion, but the American Top Team star sports significant advantages in weight, height and reach. Ferreira is a beast of a man, and the past four fighters who faced him sought medical attention within two rounds.

Raised in a shack with no electricity alongside seven siblings, Ferreira discovered MMA in 2013 while living in Connecticut. He’s younger and hungrier, and he has a massive chip on his shoulder. For the longest time, Ferreira was an afterthought in Ngannou’s mind. After the success of the Fury fight, Ngannou had his eyes set on more multi-million-dollar boxing matches or even a showdown with Bellator MMA heavyweight champion Ryan Bader. However, when Ferreira quickly knocked out Bader in 21 seconds with one flush right hand, the champion’s hand was forced. He couldn’t ignore this threat any longer. Ngannou has never faced someone who dwarfs him so prominently in the cage, and the challenge couldn’t come at a worse time.

This has been one of the most difficult years of Ngannou’s life. In March, the hype Ngannou realized in the boxing ring was busted within two rounds by Anthony Joshua. After giving Fury one of the most challenging fights of his life, Ngannou was ranked No. 10 by the World Boxing Council. A win over Joshua would have solidified his potential as a two-sport champion, but the Brit had other plans. The second-round knockout was the worst setback of Ngannou’s combat sports career, but the pain couldn’t compare to the loss he endured a month later.

On April 29, Ngannou announced the death of his 15-month-old son, Kobe. Six months prior, Ngannou was on top of the world, but now he found himself in the emotional gutter. Just weeks after burying his son, Ngannou had to try to return to the normalcy of his chaotic career. It seemed impossible at first. The thought of his son brought him to tears at the opening presser for the Ferreria matchup, and Ngannou revealed that he had considered retirement. Ferreira hopes to make that option even more of a reality.

“[Ngannou] has been going through a tough year in his life,” he said in Portuguese, “but the toughest challenge in his life and in his year is going to be me.”

Although Ferreria profusely tried to explain that his trash talk was only in the context of the fight, the sentiment remains true. He plans to hurt Ngannou in ways he has never experienced, and if the former UFC champion has one foot out the door, Ferreira is prepared to provide the final push.

Ngannou may be outsized, but he isn’t outgunned. One punch can change any heavyweight fight, and in his case, he doesn’t even have to land cleanly. Throughout his reign in the UFC, Ngannou was known for his terrifying stand-up. He has heavy kicks, but his fists put away guys like Miocic, Cain Velasquez and Alistair Overeem. Ngannou started his career wildly throwing haymakers to find that one big knockout blow, but as his profile grew, so did his patience. Ngannou’s ability to place his punches pushed him throughout his showdown with Fury. He threw heavy blows over Fury’s slapping shots and rocked the bigger man repeatedly. However, Ngannou’s output wasn’t built for 10 rounds, and Fury capitalized down the stretch to eke out the split decision.

The work coaches Eric Nicksick and Mike Tyson put in with Ngannou was astounding but not long-lasting. In his fight against Joshua, Ngannou reverted to several bad habits that could spell his doom against Ferreria. In the first round, Joshua quickly established the jab to the body to draw out Ngannou’s favorite weapon: the left hook. Ngannou can deliver knockouts with either hand, but his favorite counter comes from the left, and at times, he can become overly stubborn when throwing it. Ngannou’s loyalty to the left hook and lack of a consistent jab makes him vulnerable to counters down the middle. Joshua saw this early but wisely decided not to exploit it until the right time. Using feints and the jab, Joshua boxed comfortably from the outside while Ngannou drifted back into his old habits of looking for one big shot.

Ferreira will no doubt study this fight extensively and look to employ some of Joshua’s tactics. Standing at 6-foot-4 and sporting an 83-inch reach, Ngannou is often the taller and rangier man in the cage, but not this time around. Ferreira will have the reach and height to help draw Ngannou into his best punch.

There was little Bader could do after taking a flush right hand from Ferreira. The bell had barely stopped ringing, and Ferreira was already looking for ways to set it up. Despite weighing 263 pounds, Ferreira is surprisingly light on his feet. He keeps his lead hand low and flicks his jab to establish hand control and clear pathways for his right cross. Joshua used a similar approach in the second round against Ngannou. Noticing that Ngannou brought his lead hand back low, Joshua knew that if he timed his punch right, the opening would present itself. Did it ever. Joshua dropped Ngannou three times off a simple jab-right cross combination. This was the same combo that Ferreira used to stop Bader. After throwing several feints to freeze the Bellator champion, Ferreira drew his man into a perfectly timed right hand over the top. At his height, Ferreira’s right hand comes at you like an overhand and is targeted at the temple instead of the chin. Throwing the punch this way gives Ferreira head control, so he can quickly frame and set up another right hand immediately if he misses. Ferreira often doubles or even triples up on his right hand if he feels like he’s in range to land.

While Ngannou’s MMA habits hurt him in boxing, some tendencies from boxing could negatively impact his return to MMA. Ngannou hasn’t defended a kick in over two years, and Ferreria has a front kick that carries snap. If Ferreira establishes the front kick to the body, it could open up that dreaded right hand over the top. Although Ferreira is tough, he’s also beatable. Before winning the PFL heavyweight tournament in November, Ferreira had been handled efficiently by Ante Delija in the 2022 playoffs. Delija pressed forward but didn’t shoot until Ferreira was pushed to the cage. Delija took Ferreira to the mat with a double-leg and quickly exploded into mount. From there, he pounded away on the Brazilian until the job was done.

Ferreira was nearly finished the same way against Denis Goltsov in the 2023 PFL championship. Goltsov showed early in the first round that Ferreira’s takedown defense still leaves much to be desired. Once flattened, Ferreira becomes a fish out of water. He doesn’t threaten with submissions, gives up his guard and holds on for dear life until the bell can bring him back to his feet. Ngannou hasn’t wrestled in a fight in over two years, but this is the best way to neutralize the threat. Ferreira has compared himself to Gane in the past, and Ngannou should take the same approach in this fight. Standing with Fury and Joshua could have inflated his ego and the hiatus from MMA could affect Ngannou’s wrestling, but standing and trading with a striker like Ferreira is not advisable. Ngannou lacks the foot speed to take angles on the larger, swifter man but could make life difficult for Ferreira if he gets inside.

The Ngannou who neutralized Gane two years ago may not be the same Ngannou who shows up to face Ferreira. He has taken losses inside and out of the ring that might have ended the careers of less men. He’s 38, has bad knees and now meets an opponent in the prime of his career. Ngannou may still have the resilience of a champion, but this “Problema” could be too much for him to solve.