The coach of newly crowned PFL Super Fights Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou believes Renan Ferreira made a critical error in the lead-up to their clash this past weekend.
Ngannou made an emphatic return to mixed martial arts on October 19, having not competed inside a cage since a successful UFC title defense back in January 2022.
After injury, a contract dispute and UFC exit, and venture into the boxing ring kept him away for close to two years, "The Predator" showed that he hasn't lost a step by brutally ground-and-pounding Ferreira en route to a first-round TKO in his PFL debut.
During an appearance on Tuesday's episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned, coach Eric Nicksick reflected on his man's performance in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The Xtreme Couture trainer spoke about the mindset Ngannou entered the cage with, explaining how it became more dangerous after Ferreira's antics during their faceoff at the ceremonial weigh-ins the previous night.
I just felt like there was a certain way about Francis, and especially after the faceoff," Nicksick said. "I felt like Renan f*cked up by head-butting him and getting in his face, because it really took Francis to a different place. It really did. I've never really seen Francis, not necessarily mad, but it lit a fire under his ass in a different way.
I'm thankful for Renan doing that, you know?" Nicksick continued. "When he did that, I looked over at Dewey (Cooper) and was like, 'Yeah, dude. This is perfect. Thanks.'
While the pair were hyped up when they went forehead to forehead on stage, they have showed nothing but respect for one another in the aftermath of their main event at the PFL's Battle of the Giants pay-per-view.
"The Predator" recently praised "Problema" in a social media post, branding him an "incredible competitor." The Brazilian entered the contest off the back of a title-winning PFL campaign in 2023 and rapid knockout of Bellator kingpin Ryan Bader this past February.