Fans Bash Francis Ngannou’s Opponent after 'Despicable' Comment to Ex-UFC Champ
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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.
FIRST FACE OFF IS IN THE BOOKS!
— PFL (@PFLMMA) August 22, 2024
PREDATOR VS PROBLEMA!!!#PFLSuperFights | #BraceForImpact | Riyadh, 🇸🇦 | Sat, Oct 19th pic.twitter.com/ip49qYLNjA
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."
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."
🗣️ Renan Ferreira: “Francis [Ngannou] 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. I’m gonna be the biggest problem of his year.” 😬
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) August 22, 2024
🎥 @PFLMMA #PFL #MMA pic.twitter.com/xd72mCdYTG
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.
This a pretty despicable thing to say given what Francis has gone through this year, even by the typically lax fight promotion standards. https://t.co/7OiUnqQXCQ
— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) August 22, 2024
"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.
Absolutely disgusting thing to say to a man who’s lost a child 🤢 I hope Francis takes his head off his shoulders https://t.co/EThjB4tkaa
— Anthony Fowler (@afowler06) August 22, 2024
"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'.
Incredibly crass thing for Renan Ferreira to say.
— Chisanga Malata (@Chisanga_Malata) August 22, 2024
Francis Ngannou will send this man to shadow realm. https://t.co/KflF6dZ4SO
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.
🚨| Brazilian athletes Gilbert Burns and Renato Moicano claim that the translator incorrectly translated this quote from Renan Ferreira at today’s #PFL press conference. 😳 https://t.co/RHshhHtsJ7 pic.twitter.com/oBx4CgbqC0
— MMA Orbit (@mma_orbit) August 22, 2024
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."
I'm being told by @Alexdavismma, who has translated for many Brazilian athletes over several years that the translation earlier today was accurate.
— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) August 22, 2024
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.
Just spoke to Renan Ferreira. At the press conference earlier today he said Francis Ngannou has had a tough year but his greatest “challenge” this year would be their fight in October.
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) August 23, 2024
Francis lost his 15-month-old son earlier this year. Renan told me just now that he meant…
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