GLORY kickboxer Rico Verhoeven all in for a crossover fight against Francis Ngannou: "This must happen"

After his successful return to MMA last weekend, it seems there's a massive target on Francis Ngannou's back. Coming back on top by knocking out Renan Ferreira for the PFL heavyweight Superfight championship, 'The Predator' now has a list of behemoths ready to get a piece of him.

One such contender is GLORY kickboxing heavyweight champion Rico Verhoeven, who appeared in The Ariel Helwani Show to challenge the Cameroonian MMA star, saying:

"Hey, I think, when we're talking about 'Baddest on the Planet', and we're talking about cross-over fights, this thing [Ngannou vs. Verhoeven] must happen. This must happen. It has to happen because we've been seeing, in the last few years, the most crazy fights and I think, yeah, this is one of them that needs to be added to the list."

Check out Rico Verhoeven's comments below:

Although Ngannou has done his best work in MMA, he did have one kickboxing match in the past - a three-round decision win over Farid Nair in France, in 2015. While his two fights in boxing were both losses, he did take former heavyweight champion and pound-for-pound great Tyson Fury to the brink.

Since PFL isn't privy to cross-promoting with other organizations, such as Bellator. A fight between a PFL champion and a GLORY kickboxing champion might be something every fight fan wants to see.

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Francis Ngannou used wrestling and ground-and-pound to stop Renan Ferreira

Last weekend at PFL Superfights: Battle of Giants, Francis Ngannou stopped Renan Ferreira with something not always seen in his arsenal: ground and pound. 'The Predator', mostly known by his fans for flatlining men on the feet, surprised everyone by going for a power double-leg takedown early in the fight.

From there, what Ngannou did would make Khabib Nurmagomedov and Mark Coleman proud. Employing heavy pressure on Ferreira, the Cameroonian powerhouse methodically and brutally broke down his Brazilian foe with concussive punches. Once the former champion turned to turtle position, the end was nigh as Ngannou rained powerful punches to his head, prompting the referee to stop the fight.

Immediately after the finish, the new PFL Superfight champion calmly sat down and let the moment sink in. Refusing to celebrate, an emotional Ngannou dedicated the win to his late son, Kobe, who tragically passed away this year.