Is PFL Promoting Francis Ngannou Wrong?

(Opinion) Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira should be bigger than it is.

Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The lineal heavyweight UFC champion of the world, Francis Ngannou, is set to make his return to MMA next week, when he headlines the PFL's 'Brace for Impact' event on October 19.

A short stint in boxing saw Ngannou almost dethrone Tyson Fury, before being crumbled by Anthony Joshua. Despite the setbacks, he captured the attention of millions, which should have carried over to his PFL debut.

So why is nobody talking about it?

PFL's CGI-clad trailer for Ngannou's fight saw 'The Predator' bring a city to its knees alongside his adversary, Renan Ferreira, showcasing impressive production quality. However, it has garnered just over 50,000 YouTube views in nine days and seems to be struggling to reach a combined 1 million views across other social media platforms.

Francis Ngannou, Lineal UFC Heavyweight Champion

One critical angle missing from the promotion's forefront is Ngannou's status as the lineal UFC heavyweight champion. Ngannou's heavyweight title can trace its lineage from Ngannou back to Royce Gracie at UFC 1. Since he never lost the belt in the UFC, he carries lineal status to the PFL.

Timeline of the lineal UFC heavyweight title.#UFC #MMA #Ngannou #PFL #PFLSuperFights
Graphic I created during my stint at Heavy on UFC 🎨 pic.twitter.com/cXVEfLSSHn

— Mathew Riddle MMA (@fightfanatical) October 10, 2024

If Ngannou wins his PFL debut, the heavyweight lineage remains intact with him. However, if he loses, Ferreira would technically become the lineal champion.

The PFL is missing a prime opportunity to emphasize that they arguably have the greatest MMA heavyweight in the world, with the lineage to back it up. If the lineage continues within their promotion, the PFL will have undeniable bragging rights over the UFC.

Argument Against Marketing Ngannou as Lineal Champ

It's a double-edged sword. Using the UFC lineal champ status as a marketing tool, they position themselves as the No. 2 player in the sport. They are the No. 2 promotion but are angling to level the playing field as a co-dominator in the MMA market.

This strategy begins with their October 19 event, which sees Ngannou and Ferreira contend for the inaugural PFL super fights heavyweight title, as well as three other super fights:

• Cris Cyborg vs. Larissa Pacheco for the featherweight superfights title
• Johnny Eblen vs. Fabian Edwards for the Bellator middleweight title
• AJ McKee Jr. vs. Paul Hughes

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