Paul Battison, BBC Sport
There aren’t many individuals who go away the UFC of their prime and go on to raised themselves, however Ngannou has by no means finished issues by the e-book.
The Cameroonian was a star within the MMA world when he left the UFC as its heavyweight champion early final yr, however he’s now a star on the worldwide stage after blockbuster boxing fights with Fury and Joshua.
Followers noticed Ngannou take Fury to the brink of defeat on his skilled boxing debut, earlier than struggling a devastating knockout by Joshua, however will now get to see him in his extra pure habitat.
Combined martial arts is Ngannou’s bread and butter, the place he made a reputation for himself as some of the devastating punchers within the sport’s historical past.
Ngannou’s fearsome stand-up is what first caught the eye of the boxing world, however inside an MMA cage he has many extra strings to his bow – confirmed by his win over Gane in 2022, the place he out-wrestled the Frenchman.
He’s the favorite in opposition to Ferreira, with doubts looming from critics over the usual of challengers within the PFL’s heavyweight division.
The largest win of Ferreira’s profession got here in opposition to former Bellator two-division champion Ryan Bader in February, however at 41, the American is within the twilight of his profession.
A win over Ngannou, nonetheless, would change the whole lot for the Brazilian, thrusting him to the forefront of the worldwide heavyweight MMA panorama.
