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Pouya Rahmani is not one to shy away from making bold claims.
Among them is the undefeated heavyweight’s confidence when it comes to a potential showdown with former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou.
‘The Predator’ is widely regarded as one of the division’s very best of all time, having put a number of big names to sleep with his immense power.
That hasn’t stopped Rahmani from predicting a one-sided victory over Ngannou, should the 6-0 PFL fighter ever cross paths with him inside the cage.
Rahmani is an Iranian national wrestling champion who has made a splash since crossing over to mixed martial arts.
Six straight victories have been enough to make the 34-year-old heavyweight certain of his superiority over some of the best in the game, Ngannou included.
“Brother we talk about grappling, there is levels in this game,” Rahmani said during a recent interview with Home of Fight.
“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.
“When I put him down, brother, all of his country will have to come to help him get up from under my hand,” he continued. “When I am on top of you, you are over, bye, bye, you know?”
Rahmani’s confidence may come from how the knockout artist suffered his first loss in the UFC. Ngannou was outgrappled by Stipe Miocic across five rounds at UFC 220 in 2018.
While Miocic showed that Ngannou can be controlled by an elite wrestler, that demonstration happened early in the Cameroonian’s career. ‘The Predator’ showcased his improvements in that area by utilizing his wrestling to beat Ciryl Gane in 2022.
Since transitioning to MMA, Rahmani has recorded four submissions and two knockouts in his six wins. He has also stayed active away from the cage, recording victories in Real American Freestyle and ACBJJ.
Though he certainly has strong credentials in wrestling, using those skills for success in MMA is a very different task.
Ngannou’s next fight has not been confirmed after he finished Philipe Lins on Netflix this past May. Rahmani, meanwhile, will make his seventh pro MMA appearance at the upcoming PFL event in Dubai on November 14.