RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Francis Ngannou is still mentally committed to MMA but admits his path forward hinges largely on the result of Friday’s boxing match with Anthony Joshua.
Ngannou (17-3 MMA, 0-1 boxing), a former UFC heavyweight champion, will make his second venture into the boxing ring after exceeding expectations in his debut split decision loss to Tyson Fury last October. Now with more confidence and experience under his belt, “The Predator” will look to raise the bar against Joshua in their 10-round bout at Kingdom Arena (pay-per-view).
Although the boxing is likely more prosperous and lucrative for Ngannou, he has already signed a contract to compete for PFL in the future. The timeline of when that happens remains uncertain as Ngannou makes his mark in the boxing world, and he said he won’t have a full path forward until the outcome against Joshua is decided.
“Not most likely (in 2025) – it’s possible it’s this year, too,” Ngannou told MMA Junkie on Thursday. “Most likely MMA is this year, as well, because after tomorrow I will have a clear idea of the future of my MMA career.”
If Ngannou does return to MMA under the PFL banner, the promotion has already determined 2023 PFL heavyweight champion Renan Ferreira will be the opponent. Ferreira (13-3) secured the potential opportunity with a 21-second knockout of Ryan Bader at PFL vs. Bellator: Champions in February, and Ngannou was impressed with what he saw inside the cage.
“It was a crazy performance,” Ngannou said. “He was incredible. I was ringside and coming to the fight obviously I know (about him), I had Renan Ferreira in that fight for sure. But I thought like maybe Ryan Bader had an opportunity for wrestling and take him to the deep water. But when the fight started I looked at Ryan and he wasn’t there at all. Renan Ferreira was on fire. He was ready to go to war.”
For more on the fight, visit MMA Junkie’s hub for Joshua vs. Ngannou.
