Francis Ngannou might have had second thoughts. That is Renan Ferreira's impression ahead of their anticipated mixed martial arts fight under the PFL banner.
Ferreira knocked out Ryan Bader in 21 seconds in a meeting of PFL and Bellator heavyweight champions on Feb. 24. By doing so, Ferreira positioned himself as first to bat for Ngannou's eventual return to MMA. Bizarrely, there was no post-fight faceoff between Ferreira and Ngannou despite Ngannou sitting cageside. It felt like a missed opportunity to most, including the PFL champ.
"I quite honestly didn't understand it either," Ferreira told CBS Sports through an interpreter. "I stayed inside the cage. I was out there kind of waiting on him. He didn't show up. I'm not sure what happened there. If you ask me, I think he felt a little pressured, and embarrassed, not knowing what to do or how to act. He really understood he has a big problem ahead of him.
"I do think that was a missed opportunity for all of us. I was looking forward to being face-to-face with the man. But, we move on. I'm just happy this fight is going to happen."
Ferreira will receive a minimum of $2 million for the Ngannou fight. Uniquely, it's a payday negotiated by his opponent. One of Ngannou's conditions for signing with the PFL was that his future opponents would receive a $2 million guarantee. Ferreira credits his hard work for putting him in this position, but he commended Ngannou for acting with grace and care.
"I feel like money in a situation like this is a consequence of your work. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the body of work I put together," Ferreira said. "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 it shows the character and the man behind the athlete. It's something I commend and applaud him for."
Ngannou is currently preparing to box Anthony Joshua in Riyadh on Friday before a potential return to MMA.
