Francis Ngannou, having experienced two losses in his professional boxing career, is poised to return to MMA according to PFL co-founder Donn Davis, who recently disclosed this news. In his second boxing match, Ngannou was knocked out by Anthony Joshua in the second round. Prior to that, the former UFC heavyweight champion challenged Tyson Fury in his boxing debut, where Fury secured a victory via split decision. Let’s find out when Ngannou will make his MMA comeback.
PFL Chief Confirms Francis Ngannou’s Next MMA Bout
Francis Ngannou, after his recent defeat to Anthony Joshua, is gearing up for an early comeback to MMA, scheduled for this summer. Ngannou endured a challenging bout against AJ, being knocked out in just two rounds during his second boxing match on March 8th. PFL co-founder Donn Davis has recently commented on Ngannou’s upcoming promotional debut this year, highlighting how the Cameroonian fighter’s two losses in boxing influenced his decision to return to MMA.
Ngannou notably signed a bumper deal with the PFL after exiting the UFC in January 2023. However, he has yet to make his promotional debut. During a recent chat with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Davis revealed that Ngannou’s return to MMA under the PFL banner was close. Crediting the Joshua loss for pushing Ngannou’s promotional debut up, he said:
“So I’m rooting for Francis all the time, but now he’s coming back early. Will it be as early as July? Maybe. Will it be as late as September? No later. But you’ll see Francis now in 2024, in PFL, against ‘La Problemo’ [Renan Ferreira] in what I believe is going to be the fight I’m looking forward to the most in the heavyweight division of all of MMA.“
Also Read: Anthony Joshua Reacts on Francis Ngannou’s Performance After Knocking Out The EX UFC Champion
Although Francis Ngannou had a successful reign as the UFC heavyweight champion and was dominant in the division, he is now preparing for his debut in the Professional Fighters League (PFL) in MMA. However, he still intends to pursue boxing and is considering potential matchups with Deontay Wilder and Dillian Whyte. Wilder has even proposed a two-fight deal. Ngannou is no longer ranked in the top ten of the WBC heavyweight rankings but remains determined to make a comeback in the sport. It should be noted that none of Ngannou’s upcoming fights have been officially confirmed yet.
