"Could go in there and knock him out" - "Beatable" Francis Ngannou receives words of caution for lack of MMA training

Francis Ngannou finally had his next MMA fight reported, but not everyone was optimistic about the news.

Ngannou, who is currently preparing to box Anthony Joshua on March 8 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, announced on Sportscenter his desire to face either Ryan Bader or Renan Ferreira in the PFL later in 2024. Bader — the incumbent Bellator heavyweight champion — and Ferreira — the defending PFL heavyweight champion — are set to fight on Feb. 24 as the main event of PFL vs. Bellator: Champs.

The PFL confirmed the future fight on their social media accounts on Feb. 22, just two days before their first event of 2024 after Ngannou's announcement.

After reports of the bout went public, Bader told Mirror Fighting that he believes the former UFC champion's lack of focus on MMA will be detrimental to his fighting ability and he would be the worst matchup for Ngannou.

Bader said:

"I think with Ngannou training for these boxing fights, I would be training exclusively in boxing and not worrying about my ground game. While he's doing that, I'm in the gym grinding away on my ground game and everything else... I think he's beatable. I think I can grind out a decision but it's an MMA fight so you never know. I could go in there and knock him out."

Currently, a slight favorite to defeat Ferreira, Bader has never lost a fight at heavyweight and last beat Fedor Emelianenko at Bellator 290.

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Francis Ngannou calls the winner of Ryan Bader vs. Renan Ferreira a 'champ champ'

Francis Ngannou will be keeping a close eye on the PFL vs. Bellator: Champs main event, with the winner being his potential next opponent.

Announcing his intended MMA return on Sportscenter on Feb. 22, Ngannou claimed there are high stakes on the Feb. 24 bout between Ryan Bader and Renan Ferreira. With the fight being promoted as a 'champion vs. champion' bout, Ngannou believes the winner will be a rightful 'champ champ.'

Having previously held the UFC heavyweight title, Ngannou still refers to himself as a champion despite not holding a belt in any sport. Though not competing in MMA since defending his former championship against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 in January 2022, many still regard 'The Predator' as the best heavyweight in the sport.

With the announcement of his return, Ngannou did not provide a timeline on the potential fight, stating the future date will depend on the result of his March 8 boxing fight with Anthony Joshua.