Renan Ferreira On Concerns Over Whether Or Not Francis Ngannou Will Follow Through With MMA Return (Exclusive)

Renan Ferreira knows the pre-fight risk involved in agreeing to a proposed MMA fight against Francis Ngannou amidst the latter's upcoming boxing return.

Ferreira secured the Ngannou fight when he knocked out Bellator Heavyweight Champion Ryan Bader at PFL vs. Bellator last weekend in Riyadh. Ngannou is expected to return to MMA later this year after his upcoming boxing fight against Anthony Joshua.

It's been a long time since Ngannou has fought in MMA. His last MMA fight was a unanimous decision win over Ciryl Gane at UFC 270, and his last bout with the UFC before deciding to part ways.

Amidst Ngannou's stardom in boxing, some have questioned whether or not Ngannou is serious about fighting in the PFL or if he'll solely serve an advisory role with the league. A win over Joshua could open up a slew of potential heavyweight boxing fights for Ngannou moving forward.

Despite Ngannou's current obligations, Ferreira is confident their planned fight will occur, and that Ngannou will fight at least once more in MMA.

Related: VIDEO: MMA Referee Shoves Fighter In Heated Mid-Fight Altercation, Faces Potential Lifetime Ban

Renan Ferreira On Francis Ngannou: 'He Can't Get Away From Me'

In an exclusive interview with MMANews , Ferreira was asked if he's worried about Ngannou changing his mind by sticking to boxing long-term.

"No, not really. I trust the process," Ferreira said. "He's got a contract with PFL, we announced the fight, we've talked about this. He's talked about it, so I don't think in his mind he feels like he can get away from fighting me."

Ngannou narrowly lost to Tyson Fury in his professional boxing debut in October. It was his first combat sports action since UFC 270 and he nearly beat one of the greatest heavyweights in boxing history.

Ngannou's coach, Eric Nicksick, has recently spoken about the intrigue surrounding a matchup with Ferreira. Ngannou has expressed interest in facing Ferreira since midway through the 2023 PFL regular season.

Ngannou vs. Ferreira is on the cusp of being fulfilled, although there's still time for Ngannou to potentially change his mind and stick to boxing avenues. Regardless, Ferreira is determined to now allow Ngannou to escape MMA without their heavyweight clash coming to fruition.

• Read Also: Mike Perry vs. Thiago Alves Set To Headline Bare Knuckle FC's KnuckleMania 4 On April 27