Former undisputed UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou has been the subject of much speculation and discussion among fans of combat sports. Recently, PFL CEO Peter Murray shed some light on their pursuit of Ngannou. He revealed that they have a “very close relationship”.
Ngannou’s last professional bout was in January of last year, where he successfully unified the heavyweight titles in a unanimous decision victory against Ciryl Gane in UFC 270. However, his contractual obligations with the UFC came to an end in December of the same year. This later resulted in his release from the promotion in January and Ngannou was stripped of his title.
Since then, Ngannou has been linked with various promoters including professional boxing ones. Former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder and promoter Eddie Hearn have both welcomed Ngannou to the world of boxing. However, Hearn has expressed doubts about Ngannou’s ability to compete at a high level in the sport.
In the realm of Mixed Martial Arts, Ngannou has also been discussed as a potential prospect for both the PFL and ONE Championship.
Peter Murray recently spoke about the positive relationship between the PFL and Ngannou during a recent interview.
Murray said: “Hey, listen, Francis (Ngannou) make it very clear that he’s going to box. We’re excited to see how those plans materialize. We have a very close relationship and more to come on next steps on Francis, related to MMA.”
Ngannou earned the undisputed UFC heavyweight title when he defeated Stipe Miocic in the second round via knockout in their title rematch in March 2021.
However, Ngannou’s potential future comeback to the UFC also seems completely ruled out. UFC president Dana White has called him “absolutely impossible to deal with.”