Now a member of the Professional Fighters League (PFL), Francis Ngannou is looking forward to his first fight for the MMA organisation. But the Cameroonian has other ambitions too, not least the opponents in his sights. Eager to get into the ring, he's hoping for a fight against Deontay Wilder, while keeping the idea of a fight against Jon Jones in the back of his mind.
He walked out on the UFC after a tug-of-war, before signing with the Professional Fighters League on 16 May, joining the organisation that offers $1 million prize money tournaments. Expected to contest his first fight in the American MMA league in the coming months, Francis Ngannou has no shortage of ambition. While his long-awaited English boxing fight against Tyson Fury seems to have fallen by the wayside, the Cameroonian has his sights set on other equally exciting challenges.
And for good reason, the contract signed with the PFL allows him to fight outside the organisation, something that was impossible for him in the UFC. A godsend for the native of Batié, who wants to fight in the ring. A boxer at heart before turning to MMA, the former UFC heavyweight champion wants to rub shoulders with the best in the top division. In the absence of Tyson Fury, Francis Ngannou wants to rub shoulders with Deontay Wilder. Interviewed by TMZ, the Cameroonian confided that discussions to this effect have already taken place. "In December, we were discussing a boxing match. We discussed a boxing fight, an MMA fight, and probably one of them in Africa. All parties agreed. We were very advanced in that conversation," he said. Before that, Deontay Wilder had also confirmed talks about such a fight.
Jones, an impossible fight to organise?
If there is a fight between the two men, it will not be organised by the PFL. At least initially, to give Wilder a chance to familiarise himself with the rules and techniques of MMA. "Wilder can't be my first fight in the PFL because he might fight in December," said Francis Ngannou. "And by then, there will already be an opening for me (for a first fight with the PFL, ed.) and he won't have enough time to come to MMA. Because if we fight, I think we'll fight boxing first to give him some time for his wrestling and everything else."
Another target in the Predator's sights is Jon Jones. Footage of their encounter on the sidelines of an MMA fight has made the rounds on the web. The two men, who have been inveighing against each other for months on social networks, surprised everyone by exchanging smiles and pleasantries. Ngannou returned to the scene. "I think we respect each other as athletes. We have this rivalry, you know, everyone wants to know who's the biggest dog in the room. But, yes, we respect each other," he said, while making no secret of his desire to fight the man who reclaimed his UFC heavyweight belt.
He feels the pressure @PFLMMA pic.twitter.com/ZWm2ExTI7n
— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) June 17, 2023
A fight that is "possible", according to Ngannou, on one condition: the two men fight in rival organisations, and the UFC and the PFL have never worked together before. Is now the right time to do so, and organise an unprecedented fight that will undoubtedly guarantee them a huge audience and the income that goes with it? There's plenty to think about.
