Francis Ngannou is arguably essentially the most formidable heavyweight the world of MMA has ever seen. He knocked out Stipe Miocic in dominant trend again in April 2021 to assert the UFC heavyweight championship, earlier than defending the title in opposition to French contender Cyril Gane a yr later. Nonetheless, a contract dispute noticed the Cameroonian depart the Octagon in acrimonious circumstances, and he has not fought underneath MMA Guidelines since.
Boxing Forray
Since these high-stakes clashes for the UFC heavyweight championship, ‘The Predator’ has ventured into the sq. circle. Ngannou made his debut in opposition to then-WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury and really practically triggered the largest upset since Buster Douglas knocked out Mike Tyson again in 1990. He dropped the highly-rated Gypsy King within the first spherical, earlier than finally shedding a razor-thin cut up choice.
In April of this yr, Ngannou then confronted one other Brit within the type of Anthony Joshua, however finally this time round, he was outmatched. The hard-hitting AJ went on to safe a brutal second-round knockout victory, and he’s now again in title rivalry. The newest Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois odds make the previous an enormous 1/5 favorite to win that conflict and reclaim the presently vacant IBF world title, however Ngannou is heading again to the cage.
As such then, you gained’t discover the previous UFC champion on any boxing betting odds lists, however he’s certainly again on the MMA ones and has been made a 2/7 favorite for his conflict with Renan Ferreria. However who’s his opponent, and does he have an opportunity to upset the percentages?
Anthony Joshua’s KO of Francis Ngannou within the 2nd. What a efficiency from AJ tonight and over the previous 11 months. pic.twitter.com/YHtWZSViNz
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) March 9, 2024
PFL Heavyweight Champion
Renan Ferreira enters this combat because the reigning 2023 PFL heavyweight champion. He’s coming off the again of a savage first-round knockout of Bellator heavyweight champion Ryan Bader, a person who has twice knocked out the fearsome Fedor Emelianenko. That solidified the Brazilian’s standing as the very best heavyweight on the planet outdoors the UFC, and now he’s aiming to cement his legacy as a real celebrity.
Ferreira has been making waves within the PFL along with his spectacular performances and is thought for his well-rounded ability set. Exterior of Bader, he has victories on his information over the likes of Denis Goltsov and Maurice Greene and his potential to adapt to completely different preventing kinds makes him a formidable opponent for the hard-hitting Ngannou. The upcoming bout will undoubtedly check his mettle in opposition to one of the feared strikers within the sport, but when he comes by the check, he’ll go into the very best heavyweight on the planet discussions alongside Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall.
Construct Up
Within the lead-up to the competition, there was a buzz of pleasure and anticipation. Each fighters have engaged in a respectful but aggressive dialogue, acknowledging one another’s strengths whereas expressing confidence of their talents. Ferreira, specifically, has been eager to make clear any misconstrued feedback about Ngannou, emphasizing mutual respect and the seriousness with which he approaches this problem.
The current faceoffs have generated vital curiosity, with followers wanting to see how these two titans of the game will match up. Ngannou’s transition to the PFL and his faceoff with Ferreira was a spectacle, managed by none aside from brash American Jake Paul, including an additional layer of intrigue to the proceedings. The competition is no doubt essentially the most anticipated within the historical past of the fledgling PFL, and may the October conflict reside as much as the billing, certainly it is going to show to be a money-spinner for the corporate over the following ye
