After a significant break, former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou is looking to reignite his fighting career.
Ngannou`s last appearance in mixed martial arts was in October, marking his anticipated debut in the PFL following his widely reported departure from the UFC, where he relinquished his heavyweight title.
Potential Mixed Rules Super Fight Discussions Begin
During his time away from active competition, Ngannou had hinted at a potential return to the UFC specifically to challenge Jon Jones.
However, UFC President Dana White recently confirmed Jon Jones` retirement from the sport, resulting in Tom Aspinall being elevated to the status of undisputed heavyweight champion.
Adding to this, White has stated that he has no plans to bring Ngannou back into the UFC fold, despite the potential excitement it could generate for the division, which is currently perceived as lacking top-tier depth.
While a clash with Aspinall within the UFC seems improbable, `The Predator` may instead find himself facing Rico Verhoeven, a prominent kickboxing champion and a teammate of Aspinall.
Verhoeven recently successfully defended his GLORY heavyweight championship against Artem Vakhitov, extending his reign which has lasted for over a decade.
The Dutch striking expert has expressed interest in a potential bout against Ngannou for several months, particularly as he contemplates making his transition or debut in MMA.
Recently, Verhoeven confirmed that he has already engaged in discussions with the PFL promotion and representatives from Saudi Arabia regarding a possible mixed rules superfight against the former UFC titlist.
Speaking with Ariel Helwani, Verhoeven indicated that talks have commenced for a fight that would feature a unique format: one round under MMA rules, one round under kickboxing rules, and one round under boxing rules.
Verhoeven was quoted saying, “The PFL is interested and the Saudis are interested, so I think there are a lot of things that might happen and just change combat sports in general.”
Who Else Could Francis Ngannou Potentially Fight?
Ultimately, if Francis Ngannou and the PFL cannot finalize an agreement for a high-profile super fight against Verhoeven, his options for relevant opponents within the PFL are considerably limited.
This scarcity of fitting opponents is a primary reason why he has only had a single fight under the PFL banner to date, where he comfortably defeated their highest-ranked heavyweight.
Despite the uncertainties in MMA and kickboxing, `The Predator` continues to hint at a potential return to the boxing ring, with former heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder frequently mentioned as the most likely opponent for his next boxing venture.
Gareth Pendleton