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Fans Bash Francis Ngannou’s Opponent after 'Despicable' Comment to Ex-UFC Champ

PFL Champ Renan Ferreira to Francis Ngannou: "I’m gonna be the biggest problem of his year..."

Christopher De Santiago

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Renan Ferreira is facing some backlash for what he said about Francis Ngannou at the PFL Press Conference on Thursday.

Watch Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira PFL Press Conference, Ft. Jake Paul

No fight has been bigger for the PFL Heavyweight Champion than this one against the debuting Ngannou, who Ferreira is set to fight on Oct. 19 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. "The Battle of the Giants" is shaping up to be one of the biggest heavyweight fights of the year with their first promotional press conference going down from Washington D.C. this week.

Ferreira will be Ngannou's first fight back in MMA after leaving the UFC in 2023 with the former heavyweight champion crossing over into the boxing world for a couple of super-fights against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.

Ngannou Considered Retirement After Death Of Son

A "tough time" is an understatement to what Ngannou has gone through in the last six months, being knocked out by Joshua in March to then losing his one year-old son Kobe in April. It wasn't an easy decision to make but Ngannou will continue his fighting career in honor of his fallen son.

"Fighting for me, it's a lifestyle," Ngannou said. "I get to the point that I question myself if I should continue or if I should just retire. But, I didn't want my son to be the reason for me to do that. So I decided that I will keep doing it, fighting for him. It just became a new purpose for me.

"My son, he was 15 months old, but he was very active and I have a lot of plans in the future for him and life decide otherwise... to find him as a motivation, to keep going instead of to quit. So, I think it's the best way of honoring him."

Ex-UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Nganno
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Ferreira's Comments Spark Controversy

Ngannou's opponent, the 6'8" Renan Ferreira, had a few of his own words to say about Ngannou's hardship-filled year, vowing to be the biggest problem standing in front of him in 2024.

“Francis has been going through a tough year in his life, but the toughest challenge in his life and in his year is gonna be me," Ferreira said in Portuguese through a translator. "I’m gonna be the biggest problem of his year. Tough puzzle for him to figure out."

MMA World Reacts

As you might have guessed, Ferreira's comments didn't boil over well in the MMA community as fans called out the heavyweight for making it sound like he wanted to one-up Ngannou's massive tragedy.

"This a pretty despicable thing to say given what Francis has gone through this year, even by the typically lax fight promotion standards," MMA reporter Aaron Bronsteter said of Ferreira's initial comments.

"Wow. Talk about an ignorant thing to say..." a fan wrote.

"F***… going after Francis losing his child is some dark trash talk," another fan said.

"Yeah I get selling it but that’s not right to say after knowing he lost his son," another fan joined in on the conversation.

"Absolutely disgusting thing to say to a man who’s lost a child. I hope Francis takes his head off his shoulders," pro boxer Anthony Fowler chimed in.

"All this talk then gets chinned by Francis," one fan wrote out, followed by another who said: "After he gets knocked out hope the ref allows some extra shots."

"Incredibly crass thing for Renan Ferreira to say. Francis Ngannou will send this man to shadow realm," MMA reporter Chisanga Malata said on 'X'.

Brazilian UFC fighters Renato Moicano and Gilbert Burns didn't take any shots at their countryman Ferreira, claiming that his translator had misinterpreted what he originally said in Portuguese.

"Bad translation, he didn't [say] that," Burns wrote on Instagram (h/t: MMA Orbit). "Wrong translation. He literally said he's going to have a big problem," Moicano followed up.

According to Aaron Bronsteter, Ferreira's comments were translated accurately upon speaking with MMA manager Alex Davis.

"I'm being told by @Alexdavismma, who has translated for many Brazilian athletes over several years that the translation earlier today was accurate. So, with that in mind, I apologize for being critical of the translator and PFL."

On Thursday night, Renan Ferreira would clear the air regarding his recent comments, telling ESPN's Brett Okamoto that he was referring to Francis Ngannou's KO loss in boxing to Anthony Joshua, not Ngannou's personal tragedy in losing his son.

"I respect Francis greatly and his family. I meant in the cage," Ferreira told ESPN.

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Christopher De Santiago
CHRISTOPHER DE SANTIAGO

Christopher De Santiago is a 22 year-old journalist from Gainesville, Texas with years of experience covering MMA.

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