If you told Renan Ferreira when this season began that he’d score a devastating knockout to punch his ticket to the 2023 PFL heavyweight final, he’d have gladly take it. Doing it to a training partner of one of MMA’s greatest fighters with him in his opponent’s corner? Even better.
That was the dream scenario that played out for Ferreira (11-3) at 2023 PFL Playoffs 2. Ferreira knocked out Maurice Greene (11-9) with a hard right hand and follow-up punches in the first round of their semifinal as UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones watched from Greene’s corner at The Theater at Madison Square in New York.
Immediately afterward, Ferreira made a point to find Jones cageside and kneeled down in front of him as a show of respect and gratitude.
“It was awesome,” Ferreira said through an interpreter. “I have a lot of respect for Jon Jones. I admire him as an athlete, following his career for a long time. It was really cool to be able to fight a guy that trains with him and have him in the opposing corner.”
𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗠𝗔𝗡 𝗜𝗦 𝗔 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗕𝗟𝗘𝗠 🤯@MmaProblema with the #BudLightCelly of the night! #PFLPlayoffs | B2YB @budlight pic.twitter.com/itXwHN40fE
— PFL (@PFLMMA) August 19, 2023
Now Ferreira has the opportunity to earn a life-changing $1 million if he can beat Denis Goltsov – who submitted Jordan Heiderman – in the heavyweight final this November. It sure would mean a lot to Ferreira, who fell short to eventual 2022 champion Ante Delija in the playoffs last season.
The grand prize, Ferreira admits, is on his mind, but he won’t get ahead of himself.
“Absolutely. I think about it all the time,” Ferreira said. “I still need one more fight, though. The job is still not done, it’s still not over. It’s gonna change everything for me and my family and my loved ones, and I look forward to it. But there’s still a lot of hard work to do.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for 2023 PFL Playoffs 2.
