Francis Ngannou’s Future Plans Revealed-Wilder, PFL, And Much More
Francis Ngannou, who previously held the UFC heavyweight championship, is determined to pursue his goal of boxing and has expressed his desire to compete against former WBC world champion Deontay Wilder.
Ngannou mentioned that he has been discussing a possible fight with Wilder’s team. He also revealed that there are plans to hold the match in Africa, and a second fight may follow.
The Predator tells us he's currently discussing a two-fight deal with former heavyweight champ Deontay Wilder!
TMZ Sports talked to 36-year-old Ngannou — a combat sports free agent after parting ways with the UFC in January. pic.twitter.com/da6ZtkIa0t
— Noiretv (@Noiretvnetwork) March 14, 2023
“We are looking into [Deontay Wilder] because he’s available. He’s ready for that. He’s very excited about [a fight with me]. He wants it. So, we are looking into that. That’s something I’m very excited about. We even discussed a potential one fight in Africa and one fight somewhere else. Why not even the two fights in Africa,” Ngannou said to TMZ
While that may be the case, Ngannou has disclosed that he is currently negotiating with the PFL and ONE Championship about a potential return to the cage after his boxing debut.
After becoming a free agent, Ngannou received a substantial amount of attention. Bellator’s Scott Coker referred to him as an ideal addition to the team, and PFL CEO Peter Murray expressed excitement about potential negotiations.
#Boxing #conversations #Excited
PFL CEO “excited” concerning the conversations they're having with Francis Ngannou: “We imagine we’re the right match” https://t.co/GXoR7IWDt4 pic.twitter.com/8Za07l94nt— news247planet 💫 (@News247Planet) March 14, 2023
“I wanna do one boxing match first, then maybe go back to MMA. I actually enjoy MMA and still want to do (it),” I do believe that I still have a couple fights in me… I’ve been having some serious conversations with PFL, also with ONE (Championship). Not too much with Bellator… But there is not a rush,” Ngannou stated to ESPN.
Whatever path Ngannou decides to go down, one thing for sure is that a UFC return has been ruled out. After a prolonged contractual dispute, the president of UFC, Dana White, emphasized that point.
"Never gonna happen": Dana White reaffirms Francis Ngannou isn't coming back and we'll never see him fight Jon Jones.#UFC285 | Full interview: https://t.co/qCRb2rocfH pic.twitter.com/ODGUPGcXhq
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) March 6, 2023
With that being said, Ngannou has plenty to think about.