Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou silenced his opponent earlier this week when he sent 6’8″, Renan Ferreira, sprawling to the canvas in his PFL debut at the ‘Battle of Giants’ in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. ‘The Predator’ showcased his striking perfectly but ended the fight unexpectedly by using his wrestling prowess.

This left fans and analysts puzzled as to why Ngannou took the fight to the ground to secure victory over Ferreira instead of relying solely on his striking. This question has recently become a matter of discussion on MMA Fighting’s SBN, featuring his coach, Erik Nicksick.

Coach Erik discusses Francis Ngannou’s strategy against Renan Ferreira

Throughout his impressive MMA career, Renan Ferreira has established himself as a formidable competitor across various promotions, boasting an impressive 13-4 record where 85% of his wins come by knockout. At an impressive height and in excellent condition, Ferreira, who can even perform a backflip, posed a significant challenge for Francis Ngannou, who has been out of the MMA realm for the last two years. During that time, the Cameroonian native focused on boxing. Upon making his return to the octagon against Ferreira this week, fans doubted ‘The Predator’s’ chances of winning.

However, after analyzing Ferreira’s previous bouts, Ngannou and his coach identified a ‘kryptonite’ in Ferreira’s grappling skills, which was evident when Ante Delija defeated him back in 2022. This sentiment was recently echoed by Xtreme Couture head coach Erik Nicksick in his latest interview when asked about it.

“We just knew that there was at least an evasive path to victory,” Nicksick said. “We knew that we could have the advantage in a certain area where I felt our guy was better. I went back and watched the tape, and where Renan had problems, like Ante Delija took him down, held him down, and beat him on the ground. Now, can he have improved his ground game since then? Yes, of course, but that was something we definitely wanted to test.”

As the event concluded, the most talked-about subject from the Saudi Arabia PFL scene, aside from Francis Ngannou, was his banter with football legend Cristiano Ronaldo. Various pictures from the changing room to the octagon showed the two, sparking curiosity among fans about the nature of their conversation. Recently, Erik Nicksick also shared some details about this exchange.

Nicksick reveals Ngannou-Cristiano Ronaldo conversation

In the realm of surprising alliances, few could have anticipated the friendship between MMA star Francis Ngannou and Cristiano Ronaldo. Their bond seemed unlikely, but it all began with a random meeting at the Four Seasons Hotel in Saudi Arabia, just hours before ‘The Predator’ was set to face Tyson Fury in boxing. He bumped into the so-called soccer GOAT, Cristiano Ronaldo, who mentioned he was a fan.

Initially, the Cameroonian doubted this, but after recognizing Ronaldo’s genuine admiration, he couldn’t help but feel pleased by it. ‘The Predator’ revealed this in an interview with TNT Sports back in 2023. As time passed, the friendship between Ronaldo and Ngannou grew stronger. Both athletes found themselves facing similar struggles, having recently lost children—Ngannou lost his last summer, while Ronaldo faced a similar tragedy two years ago.

This shared experience created a deep mental connection between them. Coach Erik Nicksick, while speaking to MMA Junkie, recalled the conversation he had, saying, “Francis got up to wrap his hands, and Ronaldo could feel Francis’ energy. ‘I’m just going to give him words of encouragement.’ He was talking about the loss of one of his children and how he related to that. I know how big of a star he is, but sitting next to me and having this very personal conversation made him feel like he was part of the team right then and there.”

What’s your take on Erik Nicksick’s claim? Do you think Francis Ngannou opted for the simplest strategy, or do you think this evasive approach will benefit him in his future bouts in the PFL? Drop your opinion below.