Is Ngannou Done With MMA?

PFL Chairman Donn Davis expects Francis Ngannou’s next fight to be in a boxing ring.
Ngannou made his PFL debut last October, beating Renan Ferreira in the first round to become the PFL Heavyweight Champion. It was a landmark moment since he became a champion in a second MMA outfit after having previously been the UFC Heavyweight Champion. The biggest MMA fight for him is the Jon Jones bout. They were previously linked with a fight in the UFC. But The Predator left the UFC after contract talks broke down. Dana White has since then stated that he will never work within Ngannou again. Meanwhile, he has also shut down any chances of doing a co-promotion with the PFL.
Ngannou’s Future
But Ngannou’s team has always expressed optimism that a fight could be made. A large part of this has been due to the presence of Saudi Arabia in combat sports. They have worked with the PFL, the UFC and boxing. The Saudis are capable of putting up the funds to enable this fight to get over the line. They have already put on some of the biggest fights in boxing, including the Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk Undisputed Heavyweight Championship fight. They also managed to put on the rematch, suggesting that anything is possible if enough money is put on the line. However, Ngannou ultimately signed up with the PFL to continue his MMA career.
But he has been in the boxing ring much more. This has earned him more money. He has had boxing fights against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. While he came up short in both fights, the bouts earned him the most money of his career, eclipsing what he had made in the UFC. He has also been linked with a boxing fight against Deontay Wilder, the former WBC Heavyweight Champion. They were previously linked with a two fight deal, one of which would have been in boxing, and the other in MMA. The fight ultimately never happened, as Ngannou opted to face Fury.
Davis On Ngannou
But Ngannou has expressed his desire to face Wilder, who is also keen to get the fight on. There is also the opportunity to pursue the Fury rematch, given how close the fight was the first time around. Ngannou lost a split decision, but some felt that he had been robbed of a historic win. While there are still opportunities for fights against other MMA fighters in the PFL, Davis felt the Ngannou’s first choice would be in the boxing ring.
“If I had to guess, I would think boxing would be first given the opportunities he has. I don’t want to say anything about that, that’s his business for him to announce, but he has unbelievable boxing opportunities. So, I think that’s more likely to come first and MMA is likely to come second. But, what I believe you’ll see from Francis this year is one MMA in PFL and one boxing from Francis. So, I think fans of Francis will see him do one of each this year,” Davis said
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