[autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] got a first look at the man he will be sharing the cage with in his first MMA fight since January 2022 at Thursday’s press conference.
Ngannou (17-3), a former UFC heavyweight champion, is set to clash with 2023 PFL heavyweight champion [autotag]Renan Ferreira[/autotag] (13-3) in the main event of the promotion’s Oct. 19 pay-per-view card at Mayadeen Venue in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
After signing with PFL for MMA fights following his well-documented departure from the UFC, Ngannou took a pair of boxing matches against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, neither of which went he way. He now returns to the sport where he made his name, and takes on a fellow knockout artist in the 6-foot-8 Ferreira.
At the conclusion of answering questions at the press conference in Washington, D.C., which was hosted by Jake Paul, the pair engaged in their first pre-fight staredown. It was intense, with Ngannou grabbing Ferreira’s arms and the Brazilian pounding the chest of the former UFC champ.
Check out the video above to see the first Ngannou vs. Ferreira faceoff ahead of their clash at “Battle of the Giants.”