Francis Ngannou, the former heavyweight champion of the UFC, will make his Professional Fighters League (PFL) debut when he eventually returns to mixed martial arts.
After defeating Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 in 2022, Ngannou, 37, has not engaged in mixed martial arts combat since.
The French boxer from Cameroon has focused on boxing for the past year, participating in bouts against Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury, two previous world champions.
Both of Ngannou’s battles were conducted in Saudi Arabia. First, in October of last year, Fury defeated him by a slim margin on the judges’ scorecards in a fight many think he won. Then, in March, Joshua destroyed Ngannou via second-round knockout.
He will now travel back to the Gulf state to play in the PFL for the first time in a very long time.
Why is Francis Ngannou returning to MMA?
After quitting the UFC, Ngannou inked a contract with the company last year. A pay issue was rumoured to have led him to sever his relationship with the UFC, citing a lack of “freedom” under his contract.
After that, he joined the PFL and was appointed head of the league’s forthcoming African division, which will begin play in 2025.
Now, on October 19, Ngannou will make his company debut against Brazilian fighter Renan Ferreira; according to the BBC, the match will take place in Saudi Arabia.
After defeating Ryan Bader, the heavyweight champion of Bellator, in February, Ferreira emerged victorious in the PFL’s 2023 heavyweight competition and was widely expected to face Ngannou.
Bellator featherweight champion Cris “Cyborg” will face PFL two-weight champion Larissa Pacheco on the undercard.
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“Renan is a great fighter; I have been watching him for years,” said Ngannou, in a press release published by the PFL on Wednesday.
“I have been studying him for years, in fact, I’ve been telling people to watch this guy. He’s quite unique, he’s athletic, fast, his size doesn’t impress me as much as his skill.”
