Ngannou Must Be Mentally Ready For His PFL Debut

Daniel Cormier says Francis Ngannou will have to manage his emotions when he faces Renan Ferreira on October 19.

His comments were in reference to the passing of Ngannou’s son, Kobe, who was just 15 months old. It was devastating news, particularly since Ngannou had secured his financial future with two boxing fights against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. He put up a commendable performance when he took on Fury on his boxing debut.

Ngannou’s Form

He dropped the Gypsy King in the third round with a sweeping left hook and made it to the final bell. While he came up short in a split decision, many felt he had done enough to win. The victory earned him a top-ten WBC ranking as he secured the Anthony Joshua fight. 

The Joshua fight was less successful. Ngannou was stopped in the second round. However, that period in boxing was followed up by the passing of his son. There were serious question marks over whether Ngannou would ever fight again. His last UFC fight was in 2022, when he defeated Ciryl Gane at UFC 270. He then left the UFC after contract talks broke down. Dana White said he would never work with Ngannou again.

White has also dismissed doing a co-promotion with the PFL, as fans are unlikely to see The Predator face Jon Jones. Ferreira is the next biggest name in the sport. He is the PFL Heavyweight Champion who defeated Ryan Bader on the PFL vs. Bellator Champs card this year. There is a huge expectation on Ngannou since he is also the Chairman of PFL Africa. The playoffs will take place next year. Ngannou must deliver to show the world that he is still one of the best MMA heavyweight fighters in the world. Cormier felt that a large part of that would involve controlling his emotions. 

Cormier Reacts

“Francis [Ngannou] and I had a great conversation. And I told him if there’s any time he wants to speak about trying to… because you have to compartmentalize it, it can’t be at the forefront of your mind when you’re trying to accomplish something great.

“It’s impossible, it’s so hard. When my daughter passed, and I was getting ready for the World Championships, I would just cry. If things went wrong in practice, I would just cry. I had this great sports psychologist at the Olympic Training Center…she taught me how to channel it. That’s what Francis is going to have to do…

“He’s going to have to find a way to channel all of the emotion that he feels, daily, and apply it to his training, his goals, and his expectation of himself. Because honestly, man, it’s hard to truly expect the best, when all you’re doing is hurting. Literally you’re hurting every day to even get out of bed. But you know, that you’re trying to build a life,” Cormier said

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