Francis Ngannou's coach says 'The Predator' felt nervous before Renan Ferreira clash: "He was questioning himself all the way"

Francis Ngannou's coach, Eric Nicksick, recently spoke on 'The Predator's' mental state throughout the buildup to his fight against Renan Ferreira. Nicksick detailed that Ngannou had been engrossed in self-doubts for his entire fight camp.

Ngannou locked horns against Ferreira on 19 October at PFL Battle of the Giants in Riyadh. The fight marked his return to the MMA cage after a two-and-a-half-year-long hiatus. However, Ngannou didn't show any effects of ring rust during the fight. He made easy work of Ferreira by finishing the fight with a TKO at the 3:30 mark of the first round.

But Nicksick revealed that the former UFC champion wasn't confident about earning a victory against Ferreira. In his interview with MMA Junkie, the Xtreme Couture head coach detailed how Ngannou questioned his capabilities throughout the entire buildup and even on the day of the fight.

"I never questioned him [Ngannou], but I knew he was questioning himself all the way, even up to the day of the fight. I know that he carried a different type of weight to him [within himself]."

Check out Eric Nicksick's comment about Francis Ngannou (5:59):

Francis Ngannou thanks his supporters after his victory against Renan Ferreira

In the interview with MMA Junkie, Francis Ngannou's coach also mentioned that he didn't have any doubts about Ngannou. Likewise, lots of other fans also had faith in 'The Predator's' skills and wanted to see his hand raised against Ferreira.

Ngannou ultimately earned the W and broke down in tears after the fight. However, he didn't forget to thank those who believed in him despite his doubts about his own capabilities. The Cameroonian's tweet read:

"Thank you all for being there and for all the support from around the world, thanks to my team and my family. 🙌🏾❤️🥰"