How will Francis Ngannou fare against Renan Ferreira? Exploring 'The Predator's' chances of winning PFL debut
Francis Ngannou has finally found himself something of a compelling opponent in MMA after the Renan Ferreira vs. Ryan Bader bout at PFL vs. Bellator ended in emphatic fashion. Bader, the reigning Bellator heavyweight champion, was handed a crushing knockout loss by Ferreira, the PFL's heavyweight titleholder.
It took Ferreira just 21 seconds and sets up as blockbuster a matchup with Ngannou as is possible outside of the UFC. Furthermore, 'The Predator' sat cageside for the event and seemed to enjoy the action that unfolded inside the SmartCage. Now, he is headed for a collision course with the Brazilian power puncher.
Fans will be curious about the matchup. But it is important to examine the dynamics that will be at play when the two men men finally cross swords.
The strategies and tactics of Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira
Both Francis Ngannou and Renan Ferreira are freak athletes. 'The Predator' stands 6'4" tall and is blessed with more knockout power than nearly every man on the planet. Ferreira, however, is no slouch, and is in some ways more terrifying.
The Brazilian is 6'8" tall and he, too, is blessed with seismic punching power. Despite the difference in height between him and Ngannou, their reach is only separated by two inches. Though it is important to note that 'The Predator' will still be at a significant length deficit.
Check out Renan Ferreira knocking out Ryan Bader:
Against a taller opponent, Ngannou will have to do something he's not accustomed to and punch upward, which affects both power and reach.
All one needs to do to understand this is extend their arm toward a wall until only the fingertips are touching it, then raise their hand four inches higher. One will find that their fingertips are no longer in physical contact with the wall. This is the difficulty of punching upward.
The former UFC heavyweight champion did face an even taller opponent in Tyson Fury, doing so well as to knock down 'The Gypsy King' and trigger calls of a robbery upon being handed a split-decision loss.
However, Fury often clinches in an attempt to force his opponent to carry his weight. Upon exiting the clinch, he tends to drop his rear hand, opening him up for power shots. The same isn't true for Ferreira, who isn't a prolific in-fighter. Instead, he throws wild and hard from a distance.
Check out Francis Ngannou knocking out Alistair Overeem:
This still favors Ngannou, who is a deadly counterpuncher at heart, especially given how flush a right hand Ferreira ate against Bader. Speaking of Bader, he is the Brazilian's most credentialed win, as the strength of competition he has faced has been lackluster, to say the least.
But is Bader truly an elite win? He is an undersized, former light heavyweight in his forties. Furthermore, 'Darth' has always had issues against power punchers, rushing into either exchanges or takedowns due to his fear of getting knocked out, which was apparent against the late great Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson.
All this ever results in is a brutal knockout loss. Meanwhile, Ngannou has stopped more than UFC washouts. Ferreira's propensity for not moving his head off the center line when striking could come back to haunt him against Ngannou, especially since he fights so tall with his chin exposed.
However, if Ngannou finds himself persuaded to fight a more cautious fight due to Ferreira's power, he can always resort to his much-improved wrestling, like he did against Ciryl Gane or even briefly against Stipe Miocic in their rematch, where he actually outwrestled the all-time great heavyweight.
Check out Francis Ngannou outwrestling Stipe Miocic:
Ferreira himself is a poor wrestler, both offensively and defensively. With his penchant for squaring his hips to stand and trade, he is always at risk of conceding an explosive double-leg. Whether he loses to Ngannou in the pair's upcoming matchup is anyone's guess.
After all, both men could end the fight in an instant, throwing game plans, strategies and tactics out the window. For now though, Ngannou's combination of power, experience and well-roundedness may very well see him either finish or drown Ferreira.