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MMA

‘The most difficult fight he could have had in MMA’ – Dan Hardy gives verdict ahead of Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira

‘The most difficult fight he could have had in MMA’ – Dan Hardy gives verdict ahead of Francis Ngannou vs. Renan FerreiraPFL
The PFL Europe Head of Fighter Operations shared his prediction for Ngannou’s return to the cage in an interview with DAZN.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - Francis Ngannou’s long awaited return to MMA is fast approaching.

Taking place tonight in Riyadh in the main event of PFL’s Battle of the Giants card, Ngannou will face Brazil’s Renan Ferreira for the PFL’s Super Fights heavyweight title live on DAZN.

Whenever Ngannou is involved in a fight, whether it be boxing or MMA, the sporting world stops to take note.

There are plenty of questions which will be answered come the opening bell.

Can Ngannou still be a force inside the cage? How will he fare against an active heavyweight in the form of Ferreira, whose last four fights have all ended by knockout?

In the build-up to tonight’s main event, PFL Europe Head of Fighter Opertations and MMA analyst Dan Hardy previewed the fight for DAZN.

“He [Ngannou] says we don’t fight names, we fight talent, and that really stuck with me because that tells me that he recognises Renan’s talent and ability,” Hardy said.

“This shows me where Francis’ confidence is at because this probably the most difficult fight that he could have had in mixed martial arts, and that is including any heavyweights on other rosters.

“If he beats Ferreira, he’s beaten one of the best heavyweights around and he will not only prove his ability to the leave the UFC, but also step into any fight and deal with the problems in front of him.”

Francis Ngannou vs. Renan FerreiraHeavyweight world title
Cris Cyborg vs. Larissa PachecoWomen's featherweight world title
Johnny Eblen vs. Fabian EdwardsBellator middleweight world title
Husein Kadimagomaev vs. Zafar MohsenFeatherweight
AJ McKee vs. Paul HughesLightweight
Raufeon Stots vs. Marcos BrenoBantamweight
Makkasharip Zaynukov vs. Dedrek SandersLightweight
Ibragim Ibragimov vs. Nacho CamposFeatherweight
Mostafa Rashed Nada vs. Ahmed SamiMiddleweight
Tariq Ismail vs. Taha BendaoudFeatherweight

In addition to Ngannou vs. Ferreira, PFL Battle of the Giants will have a further two title fights taking place on the card.

The co-main event will see MMA legend Cris Cyborg and two-division PFL champion Larissa Pacheco for the PFL Super Fights women’s featherweight title, while Johnny Eblen defends his Bellator middleweight title against Fabian Edwards in an eagerly anticipated rematch.  

Watch Ngannou vs. Ferreira on DAZN

Ngannou vs. Ferreira

Watch Francis Ngannou's return to the cage as he faces Renan Ferreira in the PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants this Saturday on DAZN Pay-Per-View.

The card also features Cris Cyborg against Larissa Pacheco for the women's featherweight world title.

The PPV is priced at £19.99 for UK viewers to watch on any device, including Smart TV's, game consoles, phones, tablets and PC's. 

To purchase and find the prices in your region click here.

Purchasing the PPV includes a seven-day free trial of all of DAZN's programming across a range of sports.

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