Exclusive: PFL CEO Peter Murray shares how Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira came to be, clears up confusion about world titles on the line
Professional Fighters League (PFL) CEO Peter Murray revealed in an interview with Sportskeeda MMA how they orchestrated the Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira clash.
A heavyweight fight between former UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou and the 2023 PFL heavyweight championship winner Ferreira is expected to headline the PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants event on Oct. 19 at The Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This fight will mark Ngannou's first fight under the PFL banner and his return to MMA after more than two years.
Speaking about, Murray said:
"It's all playing out well. These are the two most devastating, hardest-hitting heavyweight fighters in MMA... It is the No.1 MMA fight of the year and a long time coming. You're going to see Francis' return and Rennan at 6 ft 8 in, and he is the Brazilian eighth wonder of the world. Our theme is brace for impact and both these guys are going to deliver."
Murray also shed light on the sight of Ngannou looking smaller than Ferreira during the faceoffs and highlighted how this differs from his typical presence in past encounters. He added:
"Francis rarely looks up to anyone. He has many inspirational people in his life to look up to. But physically, he doesn't look up to many people. It just gave you a sense of how dangerous Rennan is. He knocked out Bellator heavyweight champion Ryan Bader in 21 seconds. Ryan is going to bring it... This is Godzilla vs. King Kong. These two guys are monsters and all roads lead to Riyadh for this fight. Whoever lands for real first... that's what everyone's looking for."
Murray also confirmed that both the Ngannou vs. Ferreira matchup and the co-main event fixture between Cris Cyborg and Larissa Pacheco are being treated as title fights, with the new 'Super Fights' belt on the line. He also pointed out that these belts will be contested and defended in future bouts.
Jake Paul claims he's "scared" for Francis Ngannou after watching a video of Rennan Ferreira
Jake Paul, who holds the minority equity ownership in the PFL brand, has been actively involved in promoting the Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira clash.
Ferreira enters the fight wielding the strength of a four-fight win streak while Ngannou hasn't competed in MMA since he defended the UFC heavyweight championship against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270.
Paul recently reacted to a video of Ferreira performing a gainer flip and claimed that he's "scared" for Ngannou. He said:
"No way he is this athletic? Oh that is a scary man. I did not know he could hit a gainer like that. A heavyweight hitting a gainer? he is built different. Honestly after seeing that I am a little bit more scared for Francis.”
Check out the video below: