Although a lucrative flirtation with boxing has bolstered Francis Ngannou’s bank balance, a return to his ‘day job’ as an MMA fighter has now been confirmed.
The Cameroon brawler, former UFC heavyweight champion. Signed a contract with the Professional Fighters League (PFL) in 2023. But is yet to lace up his gloves with the organisation after taking a detour into boxing.
But that PFL contract will see him return to his first love this year, as confirmed by Ngannou himself, with a fight that can be billed ‘giant’ in all respects…
Heavy Hitters
First things first, Ngannou will sign off on this phase of his boxing career by taking on Anthony Joshua in Saudi Arabia on March 8.
The Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou odds make the Brit a red-hot favourite at 1/6. Although Ngannou was a huge underdog against Tyson Fury – many felt he won that fight on his boxing debut.
The boxing tips columns will no doubt favour Joshua too, who you sense will not make the same mistake of underestimating Ngannou, who at the time had not ever contested a competitive boxing bout.
Defeat will send Ngannou back to MMA richer and better-known from a global perspective. This can only be a good thing for a PFL brand that is struggling to step out of the shadows of the industry’s major player, the UFC.
One fight that will help them to do exactly that is a heavyweight entanglement between Ngannou and Renan Ferreira, the 6ft 8in Brazilian who well and truly lived up to his ‘Problema’ nickname last time out against Ryan Bader.
PFL takes home the Main Event win!#PFLvsBellator pic.twitter.com/LseKR2WOCu
— PFL (@PFLMMA) February 24, 2024
Ferreira, the PFL champion, took out the Bellator strap-holder Bader in just 21 seconds in their crossover bout. A crunching right hook doing the damage before Ngannou – watching on from cage side – had barely had time to take his seat.
The battle of the big men is a mouth-watering prospect for fight fans. A clash that will finally put the PFL on the map. And return Ngannou to the top of the MMA mountain.
Second Thoughts
Of course, an almighty spanner may be thrown into the works if ‘Predator’ can upset the odds and defeat Joshua.
After just one fight – that impressive outing against Fury, the WBC handed Ngannou a ranking of tenth in the world.
With Joshua that governing body’s mandatory challenger to the Gypsy King. If Ngannou can cause the upset victory, then he would once again shoot up the rankings. To the point where he begins next in line to take on the undisputed heavyweight champion. Albeit Fury or Oleksandr Usyk, later this year.
FURY VS USYK POSTPONED ‼️
— IFL TV (@IFLTV) February 2, 2024
Tyson Fury's undisputed heavyweight championship clash with Oleksandr Usyk on Feb. 17 has reportedly been postponed after Fury suffered a severe cut in sparring today that required stitches ❌#FuryUsyk | #RingOfFire | #BoxingNews pic.twitter.com/jVIdwZFxm6
That would certainly turn Ngannou’s head. Putting him in an awkward position of potentially having to delay his MMA return, in a bid to see if he could become the heavyweight boxing champion of the world.
Quite what Ngannou’s PFL contract stipulates is anybody’s guess. But if he does defeat Joshua, then it would be a year since he put pen to paper. With no return date set in stone if that extraordinary path to the top of boxing presents itself.
MMA fight fans might have to wait a while longer yet to see the best heavyweight on the planet strut his stuff once more.
Image Credit: Deposit Photos