EXPLAINER
All of the battle particulars as Cameroon’s Ngannou returns to MMA to tackle Brazil’s Ferreira for the PFL heavyweight title.
Cameroonian fighter Francis Ngannou is ready to make his long-awaited return to the Blended Martial Arts (MMA) circuit to problem the Skilled Fighters League’s (PFL) heavyweight champion Renan Ferreira of Brazil.
Right here’s the whole lot it is advisable know concerning the battle evening:
When is the Ngannou vs Ferreira battle?
The battle is scheduled for Saturday, October 19.
When is the Ngannou-Ferreira ring stroll?
Ngannou and Ferreira will start their ring walks for the principle battle at 11pm (20:00 GMT).
The place is the Ngannou vs Ferreira battle happening?
The battle will probably be held at Mayadeen, an occasions venue in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
What are Ngannou and Ferreira combating for?
The PFL Tremendous Fights heavyweight championship belt.
The place and the way can I comply with the Ngannou vs Ferreira battle reside?
Al Jazeera may have reside textual content and picture protection of the battle from 15:00 GMT.
The battle will probably be streamed and broadcast reside on a number of regional platforms which are charging pay-per-view charges.
What would be the period of the MMA battle?
MMA fights range of their variety of rounds and the period of every spherical, with title fights typically being the longest. On this case, the battle will probably be unfold over 5 rounds of 5 minutes every. The whole period, if all 5 rounds are accomplished, will probably be 25 minutes.
What’s the MMA battle ring referred to as for Ngannou vs Perreira?
The customized cage for this battle will probably be referred to as the PFL SmartCage.
Who’s Francis Ngannou?
The 38-year-old fighter started his profession in 2013 in France earlier than switching to the Final Preventing Championship (UFC) two years later and have become the promotion’s heavyweight champion in March 2021. He stored the title till 2023, when he left the promotion.
Ngannou signed with the PFL in Could 2023, and the promotion agreed to let him comply with his boxing aspirations, which noticed him tackle Tyson Fury in Riyadh on October 28, 2023, and Anthony Joshua, additionally in Riyadh, on March 8, 2024.
The Cameroonian’s journey started on the age of 12 when he labored in a sand quarry. In his mid-20s, he launched into an extended and life-threatening journey from Cameroon to France – a visit he as soon as described as “hell”.
Ngannou crossed the Sahara Desert and spent a yr in Morocco earlier than getting into Spain by way of the Mediterranean Sea. Upon reaching Spain, he was detained for getting into irregularly and spent two months in custody earlier than regaining his freedom and at last making it to France.
In Paris, he was homeless till he discovered a health centre the place he might sleep and begin coaching as a fighter.
Who’s Renan Ferreira?
The Brazilian blended martial arts fighter started his profession in the US in 2013 and joined the PFL in 2023.
The 34-year-old gained the PFL heavyweight title in a battle in opposition to Denis Goltsov, whom he beat in a second-round whole knockout.
Ferreira, nicknamed “Problemo” has additionally recorded a win over Bellator heavyweight champion Ryan Bader in a three-round non-title crossover battle on February 24.
What’s Ngannou’s MMA battle file?
- Fights: 20
- Wins: 17
- Losses: 3
- By knockout: 12 wins, 0 losses
- By submission: 4 wins, 0 losses
- By choice: 1 win, 3 losses
- By disqualification: 0 wins, 1 loss
What’s Ferreira’s MMA battle file?
- Fights: 19
- Wins: 13
- Losses: 3
- By knockout: 11 wins, 1 loss
- By submission: 1 win, 1 loss
- By choice: 1 win, 0 losses
- By disqualification: 0 wins, 1 loss
What has Ngannou mentioned concerning the battle?
- On Ferreira: “Renan is on the prime of the road [of MMA fighters] however my whole life, my greatest opponent has at all times been me. On Saturday evening, I’m going to get him, so he needs to be prepared.”
- What to anticipate from the battle: “That is an MMA battle, so the whole lot will probably be on show. We’ve ready the whole lot, and the whole lot will probably be on show. Ferreira is making ready some issues as a result of he’s a jiu-jitsu black belt, and he’s not undermining my punching energy.”
- Plans for a knockout victory: “I’m going to battle strategically and in line with how the battle presents itself. In my profession, I went for a knockout, however it didn’t work out for me. The occasions after I did rating a knockout, it wasn’t one thing that I had deliberate. I do know I’ve 25 minutes, so I’m going to put my sport plan down in that 25 minutes and win the battle.”
What has Ferreira mentioned concerning the battle?
- On Ngannou: “Each of us got here from humble beginnings. We had an unbelievable profession to achieve the place we’re proper now. It’s a nice honour to be combating one of many strongest males on the earth.”
- What to anticipate: “We’re each full fighters. We are able to strike and grapple as effectively. I’m able to battle wherever the battle goes.”
What are the pre-fight occasions?
The principle battle will probably be preceded by 4 occasions:
- Girls’s Featherweight: Cris “Cyborg” vs Larissa Pacheco
- Bellator Middleweight: Johnny Eblen vs Fabian Edwards
- Featherweight: Husein Kadimagomaev vs Zafar Mohsen
- Light-weight: AJ McKee vs Paul Hughes
Who’s on the undercards?
5 undercard fights will construct as much as the principle occasion in Riyadh:
- Bantamweight: Raufeon Stots vs Marcos Breno
- Light-weight: Makkasharip Zaynukov vs Dedrek Sanders
- Featherweight: Ibragim Ibragimov vs Nacho Campos
- Middleweight: Mostafa Nada vs Ahmed Sami
- Featherweight: Youssef Al Housani vs Taha Bendaoud
Has Ngannou left boxing for MMA?
No. The fighter has been pursuing each since leaving the UFC in early 2023.