Bellator champ upset with Francis Ngannou's possible return to MMA action against Renan Ferreira
A Bellator champion recently voiced objections to Francis Ngannou's potential MMA matchup with Renan Ferreira in the PFL.
Earlier this month, Anthony Joshua knocked down 'The Predator' twice before securing a devastating second-round stoppage in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This was Ngannou's sophomore boxing appearance.
During a recent interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, PFL co-founder Donn Davis revealed that Ngannou would make his promotional debut against Ferreira sometime between July and September. Although nothing has been confirmed, the organization aims for the Cameroonian to headline the event against the 2023 PFL heavyweight champion in Riyadh.
Check out Donn Davis' comments below:
However, Cris Cyborg recently appeared to downplay the possibility of 'The Predator' returning to MMA in a post on X. The reigning Bellator women's featherweight champion suggested that Ngannou should take at least a year off to recuperate and prevent further risk of brain injury after the KO loss against 'AJ':
"That last KO needs a full year to let the brain rest without risk of trauma. Hopefully, he’ll visit a Carrick Neurologist for rehab until then."
Check out Cris Cyborg's post below:
Last month, Ferreira defeated Bellator heavyweight champion Ryan Bader with a lightning-fast 21-second knockout at PFL vs. Bellator: Champions in Saudi Arabia. The bout was promoted as an opportunity to earn the coveted position as the first man to face Ngannou within the PFL SmartCage.
Francis Ngannou appears to blame early arrival for loss against Anthony Joshua
In a recent appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Francis Ngannou suggested the delayed start of his fight negatively impacted his performance against Anthony Joshua.
'The Predator' expressed feeling deceived after spending numerous hours waiting in the dressing room, having been called to the Kingdom Arena well before his opponent:
"What I think something happened is that they got me to the arena very early, my pickup time was 10:30 PM. But when we arrived at the arena, they told us we were scheduled around 1:45 AM. We receive a schedule, and for some reason, I'm there at the arena at least two hours before [Joshua]. They do this kind of trick to make you tired. I didn't realize how important it was."
Check out Francis Ngannou's comments below (5:32):