"A bit broken" - Renan Ferreira issues statement after decisive TKO loss to Francis Ngannou, gives props to 'The Predator'

Renan Ferreira recently released a statement following his knockout loss to Francis Ngannou. Ferreira acknowledged Ngannou's performance and promised to return stronger after thanking everyone for their support.

Ferreira took on Ngannou in a highly anticipated heavyweight contest at the PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants this past Saturday, marking the latter's debut in the promotion. However, the Brazilian suffered a devastating first-round knockout.

Following his loss, Ferreira issued a statement on his Instagram story. MMA Junkie reported the 34-year-old's remarks, which were originally delivered in Portuguese.

''Hey guys, Renan ‘Problema’ here, a bit broken. Yesterday wasn’t a good day at work, guys, but I’m very happy with all our dedication and everything that developed through our work. I’ve always had the mindset of never losing, for myself, to fight any lack of dedication and commitment, and thank God I have a clean conscience. I worked very hard there, showed up well to the fight, and was happy to return.''

Ferreira continued:

''Unfortunately, my opponent [Ngannou] was superior. He managed to impose a game where that I couldn’t defend the takedowns, which led to very hard ground-and-pound to get through. And that’s it, life goes on, we’ll be back. I want to thank everyone for all the love and support, we’re always together. Hugs.”

Given the devastating power of the two, many predicted that the Ngannou vs. Ferreira clash would end in a knockout, and that is exactly what happened. Following some early exchanges, the former UFC heavyweight champion landed a takedown and held his opponent against the cage.

Once on top of Ferreira, Ngannou unloaded some powerful ground-and-pound strikes, prompting referee Dan Miragliotta to step in and end the fight in the opening round.

Following his win, Ngannou took to X and thanked everyone for their support, writing:

''Thank you all for being there and for all the support from around the world, thanks to my team and my family''

---

Eric Nicksick admits Francis Ngannou was anxious before Renan Ferreira clash

According to Eric Nicksick, Francis Ngannou lacked confidence in his chances of defeating Renan Ferreira. In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, the MMA coach described how Ngannou questioned his ability throughout the preparation process and even on the day of the title fight.

He said:

"I never questioned him [Ngannou], but I knew he was questioning himself all the way, even up to the day of the fight. I know that he carried a different type of weight to him [within himself]."

Check out Eric Nicksick's comments below (6:12):