Former UFC champion-turned-boxer Francis Ngannou is set to make his PFL debut on Saturday. The fighter will face Renan Fereira at the PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants PPV event, but fighters like Matt Brown believe the fight will not be engaging.
Francis Ngannou left the UFC after his defense against Ciryl Gane in 2022 to pursue his dreams of becoming a boxer. The fighter has faced formidable boxers like Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua but has suffered devastating losses on both accounts. Ngannou has decided to stick to what he knows best and plans to return to the MMA cage.
Although the fight has garnered enough engagement and publicity, fighters like Matt Brown believe it does not deserve a pay-per-view buzz. In a recent episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer, Brown believes Ngannou’s name does not have the ability to create enough buzz for the fight.
“But does Ngannou’s name pull enough weight to actually convince fans to plunk down $49.99 to watch the card? UFC legend Matt Brown has his doubts.
“He’s not that big of a star,” Brown said on the latest episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer. “We watched him fight Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury because of him fighting those guys.
“He’s not a Conor McGregor where we’re just going to watch him no matter who he fights. Even if Conor fought some lower-level guy, there would be a drop-off in pay-per-views, right? He’s got to have a ‘B’ side also that’s a ‘B’ side.
“Francis is fighting a ‘D’ side here. It’s not a ‘B’ side. It’s a ‘D’ side, and Francis just isn’t big enough of an ‘A’ side to draw. We don’t know how much he’s getting paid, but if it’s the amounts we would guess, it’s not going to cover his expense, I don’t think.”
Ngannou’s last boxing match with Tyson Fury ended in a big flop, as the numbers failed to break through the United States. Due to this, Brown feels the fight will not pull massive numbers and might not help sell the fight card.
“A lot of these promoters need to understand we’re all deeply entrenched in the world of MMA, so they’re big stars to us,” Brown explained. “Particularly because we have massive respect for them. Like we have massive respect for Francis Ngannou, what he’s done and who he is. But if you’re a promoter selling a pay-per-view, I think you have to step back and look at the reality of what the mainstream view on a guy is.
“Like Conor crossed the bridge, he hit the mainstream. Ronda [Rousey] crossed the bridge. Randy Couture even crossed the bridge somewhat. Chuck Liddell somewhat. I love Francis Ngannou, all due respect, he ain’t crossed the bridge. I can’t go down to the bar right now, and talk to someone about Francis Ngannou, and they know who he is.”
Prior to previous fights, Ngannou will be selling the fight with his name, and Brown doesn’t believe the fighter has the star power to make a buzz in the PFL. Brown believes the fighter will find success in PFL, but he doesn’t think this matchup will end up being a beneficial investment.
“How many people actually care?” Brown said. “We all watched Francis fight Tyson Fury. A lot of us watched him fight him fight Anthony Joshua. How many people are realistically going to buy a pay-per-view to watch him fight Renan Ferreira?”
Brown also mentioned having doubts about Ngannou’s victory. He believes Fereira may not have as big a name as Ngannou, but Brown believes Fereira is a more formidable opponent for Ngannou.
“Renan Ferreira, it’s still a high-risk fight,” Brown said. “That’s a gigantic son of a b*tch. He’s a gigantic guy. You don’t have to hit that hard when you’re 6-foot-8, 260, 265 pounds or whatever. It’s still a risky fight for Francis Ngannou. He’s coming off a knockout with Anthony Joshua. Sometimes that changes a fighter, and he’s coming back to MMA.”
Brown believes that the fighter who has more sway in boxing than in MMA should go back to the ring. Brown says MMA is a high-risk and low-reward game.
“I’d like to see him get back to boxing,” Brown said. “Fight an up-and-comer or a journeyman. Fight someone you should beat. Like he fought two guys, he absolutely shouldn’t have a chance against. He had a close fight with Tyson, and a lot of people think that he maybe even won that fight. Now, you need to go do what boxers do. You’re 0-2. Go fight a journeyman and build your way back up. Let’s see how good of a f*cking boxer you are.
“[Why are you] coming back to MMA? I don’t get the point of it. I don’t know if something contractual with PFL, or he’s just trying to get a payday. And, I just don’t really get what the point of it is.”
This clash will headline the PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants pay-per-view, taking place at The Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
FRANCIS NGANNOU TEASES AN EARLY FINISH
Although many may have doubts about Ngannou’s prowess since his break from MMA two years ago, the fighter is pretty confident about his upcoming bout. The fighter believes he will score a submission win against Fereira in the opening round.
“He moves a lot and he has good grappling. I mean, he is a black belt,” Ngannou said. “Unless the fight goes longer — if the fight goes past two rounds, I think it’s likely going to end up (being) a decision. Otherwise, if it stays inside two rounds, I think it’s a knockout or why not a submission?
“You know, I’m not a black belt, but I’m not bad too,” Ngannou continued. “I’ve been working on some little tricks.”
