Renan Ferreira, Ryan Bader question winner of PFL vs. Bellator champs fight to face Francis Ngannou

The stakes going into the PFL vs. Bellator: Champions major tournament between Renan Ferreira and Ryan Bader are about as gigantic as it will get.

Now not simplest enact Ferreira (12-3) and Bader (31-7) obtain the different to headline the inaugural tournament of the brand new skills since PFL obtained the Bellator mark, but the Feb. 24 card at Kingdom Area marks the first for the promotion in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, the greatest perk of all is that the winner could perchance obtain a matchup with Francis Ngannou.

Despite Ngannou (17-3) intellectual in the boxing world since his UFC departure, the feeble UFC heavyweight claims he will most seemingly be returning to MMA competition sooner or later after his March 8 bout with Anthony Joshua. He signed with PFL to compete in MMA, and both Ferreira and Bader the winner between them will obtain awarded that fight.

“A hundred p.c (I desire to fight Ngannou),” Bader said at a Wednesday press conference in Hollywood, Fla. “That’s one amongst the fights – he’s got his boxing fight atmosphere up, but I win it’s supreme timing. We obtain this carried out and the winner will get that different. Francis is coming over, a feeble UFC champion, he appropriate had a fanciful fight with Tyson Fury and place every person on peep. To be succesful to devour the skill to exit there and point out to every person, to exit there and obtain that win, that’s big. I’m no longer taking a leer past Renan, but obtain that carried out, 100 p.c.”

Ferreira echoed Bader’s sentiments.

“If all the pieces goes as deliberate, yeah,” Ferreira said by an interpreter. “After Feb. 24, Francis is the name. And that being said, I’ll be in a position to walk on the other hand he wants to enact it. If he wants to enact it in MMA, in boxing, we’ll be ready.”

For now, both athletes are inquisitive about every other. The ability $2 million minimal payday said to be promised to the opponent for Ngannou in PFL is a gigantic motivator, but an skilled former love Bader has considered and carried out it all at the supreme stage below the UFC and Bellator banners.

Bader said he won’t originate the mistake of overlooking Ferreira, who at 6-foot-8, is nothing short of a powerhouse finisher. Ferreira doesn’t devour the identical stage of resume as Bader, but he’s alive to for the opportunities that could perchance also be sooner than him.

“I win he’s a large athlete,” Ferreira said. “His wrestling credentials talk for themselves. He mixes it rather successfully with his inserting, too. I’ve said it sooner than and I’ll train it once more: It’s a large honour to face off with him.”

For more on the cardboard, talk over with MMA Junkie’s tournament hub for PFL vs. Bellator: Champions.