EXPLAINER
All the fight details as Cameroon’s Ngannou returns to MMA to take on Brazil’s Ferreira for the PFL heavyweight title.
Cameroonian fighter Francis Ngannou is set to make his long-awaited return to the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) circuit to challenge the Professional Fighters League’s (PFL) heavyweight champion Renan Ferreira of Brazil.
Here’s everything you need to know about the fight night:
When is the Ngannou vs Ferreira fight?
The fight is scheduled for Saturday, October 19.
When is the Ngannou-Ferreira ring walk?
Ngannou and Ferreira will begin their ring walks for the main fight at 11pm (20:00 GMT).
Where is the Ngannou vs Ferreira fight taking place?
The fight will be held at Mayadeen, an events venue in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
What are Ngannou and Ferreira fighting for?
The PFL Super Fights heavyweight championship belt.
Where and how can I follow the Ngannou vs Ferreira fight live?
Al Jazeera will have live text and photo coverage of the fight from 15:00 GMT.
The fight will be streamed and broadcast live on multiple regional platforms that are charging pay-per-view fees.
What will be the duration of the MMA fight?
MMA fights vary in their number of rounds and the duration of each round, with title fights generally being the longest. In this case, the fight will be spread over five rounds of five minutes each. The total duration, if all five rounds are completed, will be 25 minutes.
What’s the MMA fight ring called for Ngannou vs Perreira?
The custom cage for this fight will be called the PFL SmartCage.
Who is Francis Ngannou?
The 38-year-old fighter began his career in 2013 in France before switching to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) two years later and became the promotion’s heavyweight champion in March 2021. He kept the title until 2023, when he left the promotion.
Ngannou signed with the PFL in May 2023, and the promotion agreed to let him follow his boxing aspirations, which saw him take on Tyson Fury in Riyadh on October 28, 2023, and Anthony Joshua, also in Riyadh, on March 8, 2024.
The Cameroonian’s journey began at the age of 12 when he worked in a sand quarry. In his mid-20s, he embarked on a long and life-threatening journey from Cameroon to France – a trip he once described as “hell”.
Ngannou crossed the Sahara Desert and spent a year in Morocco before entering Spain through the Mediterranean Sea. Upon reaching Spain, he was detained for entering irregularly and spent two months in custody before regaining his freedom and finally making it to France.
In Paris, he was homeless until he found a fitness centre where he could sleep and start training as a fighter.
Who is Renan Ferreira?
The Brazilian mixed martial arts fighter began his career in the United States in 2013 and joined the PFL in 2023.
The 34-year-old won the PFL heavyweight title in a fight against Denis Goltsov, whom he beat in a second-round total knockout.
Ferreira, nicknamed “Problemo” has also recorded a win over Bellator heavyweight champion Ryan Bader in a three-round non-title crossover fight on February 24.
What’s Ngannou’s MMA fight record?
- Fights: 20
- Wins: 17
- Losses: 3
- By knockout: 12 wins, 0 losses
- By submission: 4 wins, 0 losses
- By decision: 1 win, 3 losses
- By disqualification: 0 wins, 1 loss
What’s Ferreira’s MMA fight record?
- Fights: 19
- Wins: 13
- Losses: 3
- By knockout: 11 wins, 1 loss
- By submission: 1 win, 1 loss
- By decision: 1 win, 0 losses
- By disqualification: 0 wins, 1 loss
What has Ngannou said about the fight?
- On Ferreira: “Renan is at the top of the line [of MMA fighters] 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.”
- What to expect from the fight: “This is an MMA fight, so everything will be on display. We’ve prepared everything, and everything will be on display. Ferreira is preparing some things because he is a jiu-jitsu black belt, and he is not undermining my punching power.”
- Plans for a knockout victory: “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.”
What has Ferreira said about the fight?
- On Ngannou: “Both of us came from humble beginnings. We had an incredible career to reach where we are right now. It is a great honour to be fighting one of the strongest men in the world.”
- What to expect: “We are both complete fighters. We can strike and grapple as well. I am ready to fight wherever the fight goes.”
What are the pre-fight events?
The main fight will be preceded by four events:
- Women’s Featherweight: Cris “Cyborg” vs Larissa Pacheco
- Bellator Middleweight: Johnny Eblen vs Fabian Edwards
- Featherweight: Husein Kadimagomaev vs Zafar Mohsen
- Lightweight: AJ McKee vs Paul Hughes
Who is on the undercards?
Five undercard fights will build up to the main event in Riyadh:
- Bantamweight: Raufeon Stots vs Marcos Breno
- Lightweight: Makkasharip Zaynukov vs Dedrek Sanders
- Featherweight: Ibragim Ibragimov vs Nacho Campos
- Middleweight: Mostafa Nada vs Ahmed Sami
- Featherweight: Youssef Al Housani vs Taha Bendaoud
Has Ngannou left boxing for MMA?
No. The fighter has been pursuing both since leaving the UFC in early 2023.