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Francis Ngannou has announced that he may return to mixed martial arts in October, with the Cameroonian set to make his debut in the Professional Fighters League (PFL).
Speaking on Joe Rogan’s JRE MMA Show, the former UFC Heavyweight champion said that he “will be fighting by the end of the year”, and thinks that 2023 PFL heavyweight champion Renan Ferreira will be his opponent. He added that the fight is targeted for October in Saudi Arabia.
“I’ve been telling people about this guy for almost two years,” Ngannou said. “I said, ‘Watch this guy.’
“Very athletic. Fast hands, 1-2, knees – very athletic. So, I think it’s going to be him,” he added, though he was clear that the fight has not been finalised.
Ferreira, who stands at 6’8, is widely accepted as the PFL’s best challenger for Ngannou, having won the 2023 championship by beating Denis Goltsov. The PFL is different to the UFC in that fighters compete in a regular season, stacking up points depending on results. This season is followed by semi-final playoffs and then a five-round championship fight.
Ngannou, who left the UFC in 2023 after failing to agree a contract extension, embarked on a brief boxing career after leaving, eventually fighting Tyson Fury and knocking the ‘Gypsy King’ down before losing on a split decision.
The 37-year-old last appeared in the boxing ring in March of this year, when he fought Anthony Joshua in Saudi Arabia. He was knocked out in round two.
Ngannou has not fought since that loss in March, though he is currently unbeaten in his last six MMA fights, stretching back to a 2018 loss against Derrick Lewis. In that time, he beat Stipe Miocic to win the heavyweight title in 2021, and successfully defended against Cyril Gane less than a year later.
He signed a multi-fight deal with the PFL in May 2023, and is still allowed to compete in other sports such as boxing.
