5 reasons why Francis Ngannou making MMA return against Renan Ferreira is a bad idea
The Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira PFL fight announcement has seemingly elicited mixed reactions. Though there's elation over Ngannou's MMA return, there's concern that his comeback date and opponent are dangerous propositions for him.
Ngannou's most recent MMA bout witnessed him defeat training partner-turned-rival Ciryl Gane via unanimous decision in their UFC heavyweight title unification showdown at UFC 270 (Jan. 2022). Ngannou was stripped of his UFC title and departed the promotion. Following that, he's competed in a pair of professional combat sports contests, two professional boxing bouts, to be specific.
'The Predator' suffered a razor-thin split decision defeat in his pro boxing debut against Tyson Fury in Oct. 2023. Ngannou's next boxing match saw him lose via second-round KO against Anthony Joshua in March 2024. The Cameroonian-French fighter hasn't competed in MMA or boxing since.
Earlier this month (Aug. 2024), the PFL officially announced that Ngannou's promotional debut will come against Brazil's Renan Ferreira for the PFL super fights championship belt in a pay-per-view (PPV) event on Oct. 19, 2024. Ferreira is the 2023 PFL heavyweight tournament champion and won the 'PFL champion vs. Bellator champion' super belt in Feb. 2024.
Today, we look at why the scheduled matchup is a bad idea for Francis Ngannou.
#5 Francis Ngannou's first KO defeat
Before being knocked out by Joshua, Ngannou had never suffered a stoppage (submission or KO/TKO) loss in MMA, boxing, or any other combat sport. That knockout loss is the elephant in the room. Some are concerned that Ngannou's chin may not be the same after it. Besides, he'll turn 38 this September and will face 34-year-old Renan Ferreira who appears to be in his athletic prime.
Moreover, returning with renewed confidence after such a devastating defeat is a problem of elephantine (no pun intended) proportions. Assuming that Ngannou's chin isn't too compromised, he'll still have to navigate through the psychological challenges of coming back from a bad knockout.
Boxing and MMA legend Holly Holm is one of the rare fighters who's maintained her standing as an elite fighter for many years even after a devastating knockout defeat. Can Ngannou successfully traverse a similar path of fire and redeem himself?
Well, it doesn't help that he's going up against the most dangerous heavyweight the PFL has to offer. For context, 11 of Ferreira's 13 MMA victories have come via KO/TKO.
#4 Francis Ngannou's first MMA bout after his knee injury setbacks
Francis Ngannou entered his Jan. 2022 MMA bout against Ciryl Gane with severe knee injury issues, which worsened in the fight. Ngannou then boxed Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua in Oct. 2023 and March 2024 respectively. Ngannou's PFL showdown against Renan Ferreira would be his first MMA bout in years.
Boxing entails extensive footwork and requires functional knees, and Ngannou proved that he's recovered well enough to box against legendary pugilists like Fury and Joshua. Regardless, the additional striking and grappling elements in MMA would likely be a tougher test for his knees.
The ex-UFC star would possibly land and absorb kicks from the towering Ferreira. Additionally, their wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu exchanges and overall grappling battles would add to the strain. Ngannou's decision to fight Ferreira in his PFL debut seems riskier when factoring in the same.
#3 Francis Ngannou is dealing with the passing of a close family member
In April 2024, Francis Ngannou made the heart-wrenching announcement that his 15-month-old child Kobe had passed away. Ngannou shared a close bond with his son.
On the JRE (Joe Rogan Experience) podcast in July 2024, Ngannou spoke to UFC color commentator Joe Rogan about it. The former UFC heavyweight champion indicated that he's always had an optimistic outlook on life. However, his son's passing has left a void and made him question life's purpose.
Ngannou highlighted that he wants to live but isn't afraid of death and looks forward to reuniting with his son in the afterlife. He stated:
"In your heart, you feel like you have nothing. Nothing is worth it."
Many believe that Francis Ngannou should steer clear of fighting this year and channel the time and energy to get through this testing time. Dealing with such a tragic loss generally requires time. Furthermore, the energy needed to prepare for and compete in a professional fight is something that's tough to harness under such circumstances.
#2 Francis Ngannou's UFC departure and high-stakes PFL debut
The Francis Ngannou-Renan Ferreira fight has more than championship glory at stake, especially for Ngannou.
'The Predator' refused to re-sign with the UFC in 2022 because of various factors. Chief among them was that the UFC didn't give in to his demand of wanting to compete in the sport of boxing. Ngannou also implied that his demands in regard to better fighter pay, health benefits, and more, weren't met, which is why he left.
Ngannou's signing with the PFL was officially confirmed in May 2023, and he was made the Chairman of PFL Africa. In his July 2024 appearance on the JRE podcast, he emphasized that he was sick of the "drama" in his relationship with the UFC.
'The Predator' opined that they didn't respond well to his requests of making inroads into the African market with him at the helm. Alternatively, he claims to have a "healthy relationship" with the PFL.
If Ngannou were to lose to Renan Ferreira, Ferreira would receive praise as the PFL's homegrown talent and would have beaten the UFC heavyweight champion who didn't lose his belt inside the octagon. A loss against Ferreira could prove catastrophic for Ngannou's star power and dent his leverage in future business negotiations.
While a win would be nice, Ngannou's critics would again write it off, saying that he beat a fighter in a smaller MMA organization and hasn't proven he can still hang with today's top UFC heavyweights. It's a lose-lose situation for Ngannou because Ferreira's a dangerous fighter with negligible name value.
#1 Francis Ngannou needs a detour en route to a PFL title
In a recent interview with Sky Sports, Francis Ngannou suggested that losing his son made him question a lot of things, including why he should continue fighting or do anything. The veteran MMA fighter pointed out that one feels powerless and has negative thoughts when dealing with such a situation.
That said, he noted that his son would've wanted him to do something good in his memory. Ngannou seemed to indicate that he won't use the tragedy as a reason to quit, but rather be motivated by it to fight for his son. Alluding to the emotional turmoil of losing his loved one, Ngannou said:
"It's not that I have come close to retiring. It's just that in this circumstance, you think."
Watch Ngannou discuss the topic below:
Ngannou's life story is truly inspiring, having traveled across continents and overcome life-threatening situations to become a heavyweight MMA legend. However, even the toughest martial artists in the world need time to heal after having gone through something like he has.
Speaking of his professional life, what he needs right now is a detour — postponing his return to March 2025 (or later) and facing a lower-ranked opponent in his first MMA fight back before potentially pursuing a PFL championship.