Renan Ferreira feels he’s one fight away from becoming MMA’s best heavyweight. To that end, he welcomes Francis Ngannou in his PFL debut on October 19. Ngannou ventured into pro boxing and will soon return. However, Ferreira’s mistranslated comments about his son’s death have the entire MMA community in an uproar. Chael Sonnen weighs in on the matter.
Francis Ngannou was struck by the heartwrenching passing of his 15-month-old son, Kobe. This was near his boxing bout for the extended Riyadh Season. The Cameroonian and Renan Ferreira meet at PFL Super Fights: ‘Battle of the Giants. During the media day, ‘Problema’ made the problematic claim which sounded like a disregard for the passing of Kobe. Sonnen gives his take on what happens from here.
At today’s press conference, Problemo, about eight minutes ago, through an interpreter, told Francis… ‘You have had a hard year. I am aware of your problems and your struggles, and that’s very tough…but the toughest thing you’re going to have this year is me.’ If you ever weren’t interested in that fight, I tell you that story because I firmly believe you are now…
Chael Sonnen via his Official YouTube channel (@ChaelSonnenOfficial)
The Brazilian fighter’s statement shocked the MMA world with his crass intentions, intended or not. ‘La Problemo’ has tried redeeming himself, saying his comments were about Ngannou’s back-to-back boxing losses. Ngannou faced Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, earning over eight figures each time. The fighter lost on both counts.
This marks Francis Ngannou’s first MMA fight since the Ciryl Gane burnout by unanimous decision at UFC 270 in January 2022. Hence, he is eagle-eyed for his PFL debut. Fans might think he did not heed the comments. However, Sonnen postulates that if there was ever any doubt or disinterest about this clash, there wouldn’t be one. The stakes just went up higher.
Chael Sonnen believes that things are starting to heat up now before Francis Ngannou’s debut
Ferreira (13-3 MMA, 7-1 PFL) won the 2023 PFL heavyweight title before defeating Bellator heavyweight champ Ryan Bader. The Brazilian is now set to return to action against Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia. It will mark the beginning of an important phase in PFL’s future plans.
Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira could get more and more heated (Source: ringtv.com/IMAGO)Things have been very buddy-buddy between a couple of heavyweights up until now. The former UFC champion welcomed the competition right away. However, such kinship is about to go up in smokes very soon, per Sonnen.
Francis lost a child, and that’s a very tough subject. That’s very, very tough stuff. I went through the same thing. I lost a child, so it’s a very rare club, but I’m in that club with him. The slightest mention of something like that will have an effect. It will have an effect on you, and you can’t get around it. It’s not a human nature of being stronger or tougher. It will have an effect on you, I’ll leave it at that, but it will.
Chael Sonnen further said (@ChaelSonnenOfficial)
Ngannou, 37, finally returns to caged competition on an undefeated MMA streak in six years. While he would like to keep that up, Ngannou would now also have the added driver of what his opponent said in his mind. During yesterday’s PFL 9 event, Ngannou quipped that he should learn Portuguese as he understood nothing of what Renan Ferreira said.
But Sonnen, who similarly lost a kid of his own, knows the load is hard to shed. Ngannou has already said he contemplated quitting, but his son’s memory rekindled his fighting spirit. When he steps into the cage again, he has a surplus emotional driver to go berserk on ‘Problema.’ As such, Sonnen is expecting fireworks when they fight.
