I’m a 6ft 8in heavyweight who earned $1million title shot and impressed Jon Jones with brutal KO – now I want to fight Francis Ngannou
Renan Ferreira could be the man who welcomes Francis Ngannou to PFL in 2024 – but first, he’s got the chance to win $1million and a world title.
The 6ft 8inch Brazilian is set to face Denis Goltsov at the PFL World Championships in Washington on Friday night after scoring two consecutive knockout wins.
Ferreira, who previously worked as a private security guard and in construction before pursuing MMA full-time, even impressed UFC legend Jon Jones with his last win.
‘Bones’ was in the opposing corner when the 33-year-old squared off against Maurice Greene at PFL 8: 2023 Playoffs back in August.
Ferreira closed the show in emphatic fashion inside round one.
The man aptly nicknamed ‘Problema’ dropped Greene with a massive right hand as he rushed in trying to land his own shots and book a place in the lucrative PFL final.
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Ferreira immediately followed up with a monstrous hammerfist, similar to the one Dan Henderson famously landed on Michael Bisping at UFC 100 in 2009, to put his opponent out cold.
Another followed before the referee stepped in to call things off and trigger wild celebrations from those inside The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York.
The 11-3 heavyweight let out a roar before making his way over to Jones who immediately showed respect by giving him a fist bump through the cage.
UFC CEO Dana White recently ruled out co-promoting with PFL, so a fight between Ferreira and Jones is unlikely to happen - but that doesn’t mean the giant KO aritst is short of big-name opponents.
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Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou inked a deal to fight for PFL in May before giving Tyson Fury all he could handle during his 10-round boxing debut last month.
After a landmark merger between the UFC’s biggest rivals – PFL and Bellator – was announced earlier this week, it was revealed Ngannou will debut for his new promotion next year.
Ideally, he’ll face Deontay Wilder in a mixed-rules fight, but if the ‘The Bronze Bomber’ is unavailable for any reason, the reigning PFL heavyweight champion seems like the most likely alternative opponent.
Ferreira is sure to call out Ngannou if he’s victorious this weekend.
“I feel like this is almost a make-it-or-break-it moment,” Ferreira told MMA Junkie through an interpreter at a PFL media day last month.
“It’s tough to even say this because there’s so much on the line between the belt and the million dollars, but there really is more on the line when you talk about future opportunities and the opportunity to fight a guy like Francis after this.”
“It’s definitely a fan favourite (fight). It’s two tough guys that swing big, that have a lot of knockout power, two exciting heavyweights.
“I feel like this is the kind of stuff that fans of the sport want to tune in and watch.”
Ferreira’s clearly got big plans, but overcoming Goltsov won’t be easy.
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The Russian has finished four of the five opponents he’s beaten during his ongoing win streak and will be targeting a fight with Ngannou himself.
With a $1million prize on the line, the PFL’s final show of the year is always eagerly anticipated, but the stakes have been raised after Ngannou's addition to their rapidly-improving roster.