Fabricio Werdum is the 45-year-old MMA veteran. He has expressed his desire to compete against former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou.
Considering Ngannou is a free agent and currently in final stages of finalizing his new contract it might just happen within the PFL.
Werdum had parted ways with UFC in 2020, he had one bout in PFL against Renan Ferreira that ended up in a no-contest. Werdum proposed this bout to Ngannou via his social media account, where he mentioned the PFL official account and highlighted his achievements.
Earlier this week, ONE FC CEO Chatri Sityadong declared they wouldn’t be giving Francis Ngannou a final offer and went so far as to claim they had principal issues.
ONE CEO Chatri Sidyodtong: “I met with Francis for almost three hours. I didn’t feel Francis and I were fully aligned on non-financial matters”
MMA Hour’s Ariel Helwani then contacted Ngannou to get his side of the deal – which was drastically different.
“Francis is very close to signing a new deal with another promotion. According to Francis, he was very upfront about this. They [Ngannou and Chatri Sityodtong of ONE] left the meeting on good terms, but both of them came to an understanding that because he had already verbally committed to someone, it’s more than likely he’s not going to ONE… I thought it was really interesting when I asked him [Ngannou] about PFL, that was the one that really got him fired up.”
Werdum is confident that he is a worthy opponent and wants to prove himself against Ngannou.
He is still under the PFL and is looking for his next opponent. Ngannou, who has turned down contracts from various promotions, including Bellator MMA, BKFC, and ONE Championship, is rumored to have already signed a deal with the PFL.
This potential match-up might happen soon in the PFL.
Werdum is not done with MMA yet, and he is still striving to improve his physique. He is shedding weight and working towards getting a shredded body.
Werdum has lost around 12 kg in only 60 days and showcased his new athletic physique on social media. He also explained that this experience could be taken to all areas of life and is useful for all people. By focusing on the goal with determination, one can overcome themselves and their limits.