Pouya Rahmani on Francis Ngannou: 'All of his country will have to come to help him get up'
The unbeaten PFL heavyweight and Iranian national wrestling champion says "there's levels to this game" and faces Oleg Popov at PFL Dubai on November 14.
Unbeaten PFL heavyweight Pouya Rahmani says he would dominate Francis Ngannou on the ground, claiming the former UFC heavyweight champion would need his whole country to help him back up.
"When I put him down, brother, all of his country will have to come to help him get up from under my hand," Rahmani said in a recent interview. "When I am on top of you, you are over, bye, bye, you know?"
The 34-year-old pointed to his grappling pedigree. "Brother we talk about grappling, there is levels in this game," he said. "I was a national team player [in freestyle wrestling], I was world champion, I am world champion black belt jiu-jitsu. There's levels to this game."
Rahmani is an Iranian national wrestling champion and has won all six of his professional MMA fights, four by submission and two by knockout. Away from the cage he has also won in Real American Freestyle and ACBJJ.
Ngannou suffered his first UFC loss when Stipe Miocic outgrappled him over five rounds at UFC 220 in 2018, and he used his own wrestling to beat Ciryl Gane in 2022. He finished Philipe Lins on Netflix in May, and his next fight has not been confirmed.
Rahmani faces Oleg Popov on the main card at PFL Dubai on November 14, where Vadim Nemkov makes the first defence of his PFL heavyweight title against Sergei Bilostenniy at the Coca-Cola Arena. The main card starts at 6pm UK time.
Every UK fight result and what's next, every Friday. Get the free UK fight briefing
More MMA from Combat Sports UK
The UK fight briefing
The stories, results and upcoming fights worth knowing. Every Friday.