Francis Ngannou is set to make a return to the world of MMA, and he’s got a massive challenge in front of him with Renan Ferreira. ‘The Predator’s last fight inside a cage was at UFC 270 in 2022 when he defended his UFC heavyweight crown against Ciryl Gane. He later vacated the belt when he exited the promotion over contract disputes in 2023 and joined the PFL (Professional Fighters League).

Ferreira, or ‘Problema’ as he is also known as, is the current PFL heavyweight champion. Starting his career in 2013, a 5-1 record led Ferreira to sign with the LFA (Legacy Fighting Alliance), and in 2021, he made his promotional debut for PFL. Now, with the bout between two heavyweight giants set to take place in October, let’s take a closer look at Renan Ferreira’s losses, physical attributes, and more!

Stats, height & reach: how big is Renan Ferreira?

Renan Ferreira was born on November 23, 1989, in Brazil and currently fights out of ‘Team Nogueira’ in Rio De Janeiro. The gym, owned by MMA legends Antonio Rodrigo and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, has been instrumental in Ferreira’s rise to prominence.

Standing at an imposing 6’6 tall, Ferreira boasts a staggering reach of 85 inches. However, what’s interesting is Francis Ngannou is just 3 inches shorter than ‘Problema’ at 6’3 but there’s only a 2-inch reach difference as ‘The Predator’ measures in at 83 inches.

The Brazilian heavyweight giant’s professional MMA record stands at 13-3. In his time at the PFL, he’s only suffered 1 loss. While his LFA run is split at 1-1. The first loss on his record came against Vinicius Moreira at FAM Fight Night 1 all the way back in 2016.

The second loss on his record came in his LFA debut against Brett Martin in 2019, but it was due to a disqualification over illegal strikes. After a string of wins and a move to PFL, ‘Problema’ suffered a third setback, as he was stopped by Ante Delija via TKO at PFL 8 in 2022 in the first round of their fight.

Since then, Renan Ferreira has been on a roll with 4 straight wins in his last fights and even won the 2023 PFL heavyweight tournament. Now, he’s set to face one of the biggest names in the world of combat sports, Francis Ngannou, but has found himself in trouble over his remarks about ‘The Predator’ at a press conference. 

Renan Ferreira and Francis Ngannou got lost in translation!

During a recent press conference to promote their upcoming clash, Renan Ferreira’s remarks set off a storm online, with some fans and critics wondering if he was taking a jab at Ngannou’s personal life. ‘Problema’ had warned his opponent that, “Francis is going through a rough year, but [the task] is even tougher ahead of him. He knows he has a big problem ahead of him that will be very hard to solve.”

But perhaps this was just a matter of miscommunication? After all, Ngannou has been through a lot lately—suffering a knockout loss to Anthony Joshua in the boxing ring earlier this year, and more tragically, the loss of his son, which led him to consider retiring from the sport altogether. As such, Ferreira had drawn a lot of flak online.

However, he later clarified his comments in a video made on Instagram where he stated, “What I said has no connection to his personal life, of everything he just went through with son. I’m a father, I have kids as well, and I will never touch such a delicate subject. I wouldn’t go that low.” Now, as ‘The Predator’ prepares for his PFL debut, the stakes are higher than ever. Both fighters have something to prove—Ferreira, that he truly is the biggest problem Ngannou will face this year, and Ngannou, that he can reclaim his dominance in the MMA world.

Do you think Renan Ferreira has what it takes to beat Francis Ngannou inside a cage? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!