Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira Odds
| Francis Ngannou Odds | -280 |
| Renan Ferreira Odds | +200 |
| Over/Under | 1.5 rounds (+160 / -210) |
| Location | The Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
| Time | 4 p.m. ET (main card) |
| Main Event Walkouts | Approx. 6 p.m. ET |
| TV/Streaming | ESPN+ PPV (cost: $49.99) |
| MMA odds as of Saturday afternoon and via Caesars Sportsbook. Bet on Ngannou vs. Ferreira with our Caesars promo code. | |
Check out the Francis Ngannou vs Renan Ferreira odds for Saturday, October 19, with my expert PFL pick and prediction for the Battle of the Giants pay-per-view main event.
The UFC is billing next month's fight between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic as being for the "undisputed" heavyweight championship of the world. However, the fight for the lineal heavyweight championship takes place this afternoon under the PFL banner.
Francis Ngannou never lost his UFC world championship, and he's now making his PFL debut after a two-year hiatus in the boxing ring. Officially for the "PFL Super Fight" title, the bout against 2023 PFL heavyweight tournament winner Renan Ferreira is the real heavyweight championship fight this fall.
There are plenty of questions about both fighters. Ngannou's break from competing in MMA coupled with his age (38) and newfound financial security might mean he's not the fighter he once was. On the other side, Ferreira's level of competition is questionable at best, given the limited talent in the division from under both the PFL and Bellator banners.
We'll get at least some answers to those questions during today's Battle of the Giants pay-per-view (4 p.m. ET, ESPN+ PPV), but let's see if we can cash some Ngannou vs. Ferreira bets along the way.
Billy Ward's Tale of the Tape
| Francis Ngannou | Renan Ferreira | |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 17-3 | 13-3 |
| Last 5 | 5-0 | 4-0 (1 NC) |
| Height | 6'4" | 6'8" |
| Weight | 256.8 lbs. | 261.5 lbs. |
| Arm Reach | 83" | 85" |
| Leg Reach | n/a | 48" |
| Date of birth | 9/5/1986 | 11/23/1989 |
| Age | 38 | 34 |
The lesser-known of the two competitors, Renan Ferreira answered the call for a legitimate opponent for Francis Ngannou when he (unofficially) unified the PFL and Bellator heavyweight belts with a 20-second knockout of Bellator champion Ryan Bader in February.
That was the fifth fight in eight months for the previously unheralded Ferreira, who won the 2023 PFL season at heavyweight with three knockouts following a decision loss in the opening round that has since been overturned.
Ferreira began training in 2013, and he's still fairly raw by top-level MMA standards. On the plus side, at 34, he's still relatively young for a heavyweight. He's also 6-foot-8 with massive power – neither of which can be taught.
Ferreira's overturned loss last season shows the path to beating Ferreira. Rizvan Kuniev put Ferreira on his back (or up against the fence) for most of their fight, both places limiting the value of "Problema's" reach and power.
While he holds a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, his wrestling is basically nonexistent. That's a skill gap that's very hard to close for somebody who started grappling in their 20s, with many MMA fighters having extensive backgrounds in some form of grappling dating back to childhood.
Luckily for Ferreira, that's less of a concern against Ngannou, who originally trained as a boxer and kickboxer before transitioning to MMA (and then back to boxing, as it were). Ngannou's biggest strengths are also his size and power – though he's developed a more well-rounded MMA game over the years.
That was on display the last time we saw "The Predator" strap on the little gloves. Coming into the final fight of his UFC contract against French kickboxer Ciryl Gane, Ngannou landed four takedowns with more than eight minutes of control time in a surprising game plan.
It came out later that Ngannou was dealing with a significant knee injury during that fight – which is why he didn't want to strike with the dangerous Frenchman – but it still showed the development in his overall MMA game.
Ferreira presents a bigger "Problema" on the ground, though. Ferreira threatened Kuniev with a few submissions, and he was able to sweep the Russian to top position. That should give Ngannou some pause when considering a game plan here.
On the feet, Ferreira will try to stay at range, backing up Ngannou with feints and jabs. Ngannou isn't afraid to take one to give one in order to cut that distance. I'm not sure how many either man can take and remain standing, but it's not many.
Ngannou is (was?) the quicker and more technical striker, but Ferreira's five-inch reach advantage could neutralize that. Ferreira also has a slightly more diverse striking game with leg kicks and knees, but that's nothing Ngannou hasn't seen from past opponents in the UFC.
Ngannou vs. Ferreira Picks & Prediction
If we knew the same version of Francis Ngannou we saw from 2018 until his UFC exit were showing up on Saturday, it would be hard to pick against him. Between the major knee injuries, time out of the cage, personal tragedy and bad knockout loss just seven months ago, we certainly don't know that.
The knockout might be the most concerning part of that equation. Ngannou's offense is often predicated on storming forward, occasionally taking shots on the way in. He might not survive that journey against Ferreira, especially if his chin isn't 100% recovered from the damage dealt by Anthony Joshua earlier this year.
That makes this a closer fight on the feet than the betting lines imply; either man could end it with one punch. I trust Ferreira's chin more, though, so I'll take the value on his moneyline at +230 at Caesars.
As I write this update on Friday morning, Ngannou vs. Ferreira props have become more widely available. As a result, I'll also be hedging slightly with a quarter unit on Ngannou's Round 4/Round 5/decision line, which is +800 at FanDuel.
The easiest path for Ngannou is to replicate his game plan against Gane and put the big man on his back, sapping his energy for a late finish or decision victory.
Billy's Picks: Renan Ferreira (+230 at Caesars, 0.75u) | Ngannou in Round 4/5/decision (+800 at FanDuel, 0.25u)
PFL Battle of the Giants Fight Card
Main card (4 p.m. ET, ESPN+ PPV)
- Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira
- Cris Cyborg vs. Larissa Pacheco
- Johnny Eblen vs. Fabian Edwards
- Husein Kadimagomaev vs. Zafar Mohsen
- A. J. McKee vs. Paul Hughes
Prelims (1:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
- Raufeon Stots vs. Marcos Breno
- Dedrek Sanders vs. Makkasharip Zaynukov
- Ibragim Ibragimov vs. Nacho Campos
- Mostafa Rashed Nada vs. Ahmed Sami
- Youssef Al Housani vs. Taha Bendaoud
