Francis Ngannou will leave boxing behind for now after being knocked out by Anthony Joshua in two brutal rounds.
The Cameroonian puncher returns to the comforts of MMA with his next opponent already set. After his victory over Ryan Bader, Ngannou will face Renan Ferreira in the PFL [Professional Fighter’s League].
Despite earning a career-high $20 million paycheck, Ngannou cannot avoid an agreed contract with PFL. He’s committed to fighting at least once during his current cross-codes run.
Bellator’s Ferreira gets the opportunity to compound Ngannou’s misery after defeating Bader in Saudi Arabia. The PFL competed in a five-match battle with Bellator in a champion vs. champion event organized by Sports Chairman Turki Alalskikh.
Ferreira won’t be a walk in the park for Ngannou on the back of smashing Bader in just 20 seconds. The win earned Ferreira a guaranteed $2m paycheck, thanks to Ngannou.
Francis Ngannou vs Renan Ferreira
When he inked the deal with PFL chiefs, Ngannou asked for a guarantee for his future foes. This move is something unheard of in modern-day combat sports. However, due to his own alleged struggle to get sizeable checks during his time with the UFC, Ngannou wanted to ensure the future of his opponents – win or lose.
Speaking about this with CBS Sports, Ferreira said: “I feel like money in a situation like this is a consequence of your work. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the body of work I put together. But it does have to be said the amount of respect I have for Francis for lobbying for his opponent. To make sure that his opponent is taken care of. It’s immense.
“It just shows how great of a champion he is and the character and the man behind the athlete. It’s something I commend and applaud him for.”
Ngannou watched ringside as Ferreira secured his place opposite “The Predator” in a match that will likely occur back in Saudi later this year.
However, the 34-year-old Brazilian believes the pair should have gone head-to-head in the ring after his victory.
Face-to-Face
“I stayed inside the cage. I was out there waiting for him. He didn’t show up. I’m not sure what happened there,” said Ferreira. “If you ask me, I think he felt a little pressured and embarrassed.
“He didn’t know what to do or how to act. I think he understood he had a big problem ahead of him.
“I do think that was a missed opportunity for all of us as I wanted to be face-to-face with the man. But we move on. I’m just happy this fight is going to happen.”
If he loses to Ferreria, it’s unlikely Ngannou would have a path back to boxing, meaning there’s a lot on the line when the pair trade blows.
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