Francis Ngannou

Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou signed with the PFL on Tuesday, and he discussed the deal during an interview with The DAZN MMA Show.

Ngannou addressed a slew of topics and he revealed that "if it was up to him" his next fight would be a boxing match against Tyson Fury or Deontay Wilder. He also said he's open to the possibility of fighting current UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones "if that could get worked out," per TSN's Aaron Bronsteter.

Ngannou hasn't fought since defeating Ciryl Gane by unanimous decision at UFC 270 in January 2022 to retain his heavyweight title. He underwent knee surgery after that fight and he was released from his UFC contract in January of this year.

"The past few months have been a very interesting time to understand and see the landscape, but I'm very excited about this deal with the PFL because they basically showed what I was expecting," Ngannou told the New York Times' Emmanuel Morgan. "They didn't just show up as a promotion that was looking for a fighter, but really came as a partner that sees more value in you as a person."

Upon his release from his UFC contract, Ngannou was called out by Fury for a potential fight with a mixed ruleset between boxing and MMA. In March, Ngannou told TMZ Sports that he and his team were considering a two-fight deal against Wilder.

After Jones claimed the vacant UFC heavyweight title with a win over Gane that same month, he took a shot at the former champ by calling him "a big ol' p---y" in his post-fight press conference. He also took another subliminal shot at Ngannou after his PFL deal was announced on Tuesday:

As part of his deal, Ngannou was named the chairman of PFL Africa, which Morgan described as "an expansion initiative to produce events on the continent." PFL chief executive Peter Murray said the company could begin holding events in the continent by 2025.

The 36-year-old said during his interview that PFL Africa "is the thing that gets him most pumped up" and the company is committed to help grow the sport of MMA in the region.

Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou announced Tuesday he has signed with the Professional Fighters League.

"The past few months have been a very interesting time to understand and see the landscape, but I'm very excited about this deal with the PFL because they basically showed what I was expecting," he said to the New York Times' Emmanuel Morgan. "They didn't just show up as a promotion that was looking for a fighter, but really came as a partner that sees more value in you as a person."

Ngannou is looking to return to MMA competition in mid-2024.

Bloody Elbow's John S. Nash provided some insight into the fighter's PFL contract. He's committed for two or three fights and assured of receiving a "high seven-figure" purse for each bout.

"Multiple sources that had knowledge of his negotiations and the agreement has informed Bloody Elbow that this deal would not only make him one of the highest-paid fighters but also give him an almost unheard of level of freedom and favorable terms," Nash wrote.

Among the perks for Ngannou is a split of the profits for his events and the ability for him to have his own sponsorship deals spotlighted in the cage.

As part of his deal with the promotion, the 36-year-old will be chairman for PFL Africa. Morgan described the venture as "an expansion initiative to produce events on the continent."

PFL chief executive Peter Murray said PFL Africa is tentatively scheduled to launch in 2024 and that the company could be staging events on the continent by 2025.

Ngannou will also have the opportunity to schedule boxing events outside of the PFL umbrella.

Tyson Fury called out Ngannou in January, and Ngannou told TMZ Sports in March his representatives were weighing a fight with Deontay Wilder.

The 6'4", 257-pound heavyweight hasn't fought since earning a unanimous decision over Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 in January 2022. In March 2021, he knocked out Stipe Miocic to become the UFC heavyweight champion.

Ngannou eventually became locked in a contract dispute with the UFC, which finally released him in January. That left many fans wondering what his next step would be.

He's the second marquee signing for the PFL this year after it added Jake Paul in January.

Former UFC champion Francis Ngannou is nearing a deal with an unnamed promotion after it was revealed he won't be signing with ONE Championship.

Ariel Helwani relayed the news during The MMA Hour, noting he spoke to Ngannou, who he said is "very close" to signing a deal with another promotion and was "very up front about this" during his talks with ONE Championship.

Earlier Monday, ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong, confirmed to Nicolas Atkin of the South China Morning Post that Ngannou wouldn't be joining after talks between the sides.

"I met with Francis yesterday for almost three hours," Sityodtong said. "ONE has decided to withdraw from the process of bidding for Francis Ngannou's services."

Sityodtong added he didn't believe he and Ngannou "were fully aligned on nonfinancial matters."

Ngannou remains unsigned following his release from UFC in January. He had been the company's heavyweight champion at the time after winning a unanimous decision over Ciryl Gane in his last appearance at UFC 270 in January.

The 36-year-old is a hot commodity as a free agent, but the absence of a deal so far shows how he's prepared to drive a hard bargain.

In March, Bellator MMA president Scott Coker told MMA Junkie's Farah Hannoun and Matt Erickson said the company was in negotiations with Ngannou but that "I don't think that there's anything close to a deal being presented back and forth." Coker added the odds of reaching an agreement were probably 50-50.

David Feldman, the president of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, was more blunt about Ngannou's demands.

"Francis Ngannou, he's somebody we've certainly reached out to," Feldman told reporters this month. "We've reached out to him, we've reached out to his team, and we just feel like he's asking for unrealistic money, and we're not willing to pay that kind of money for him."

Based on Helwani's report, it appears the 6'4" heavyweight is finally nearing a resolution in the hunt for his next fight.

Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou is ready to try his hand at a new discipline and dive straight into the deep end.

The 36-year-old told TMZ Sports he and his team are "looking into" a pair of boxing encounters with Deontay Wilder.

"He's ready for that," Ngannou said. "He's very excited about it. He wants it. So, we are looking into that. That's something I'm very excited about. We even discussed a potential one fight in Africa and one fight somewhere else. Why not even the two fights in Africa?"

Ngannou is certainly a knockout artist within the MMA realm. He's 17-3 as a pro, with 12 of his victories coming via knockout or TKO.

Opposing Wilder would present the 6'4" heavyweight with an entirely different challenge, though. Wilder is 43-2-1 with 42 knockouts, giving him a significant edge in experience.

"I can knock everybody out," Ngannou said to TMZ Sports. "I have to be clear about something. To hit that person you have to get a clear shot, which is more about technique and experience I don't have. So, I'm very aware of that aspect."

While he'd be a massive underdog boxing against Wilder, the event is guaranteed to be a major moneymaker for Ngannou if it comes to pass. For that reason alone, the opportunity may be too good to turn down.

UFC fans clamoring for a showdown between Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou are likely going to be disappointed.

Appearing on the TMZ Sports TV show, UFC president Dana White said he's "not interested" in making the fight anymore.

"I tried to make that fight for two years," White explained. "(Ngannou) didn't want the fight. Know what I mean? He didn't want the fight, and he left here without even having another deal in place. And, I know how the boxing world is, it's crazy, but Francis didn't want to [fight Jones]."

Ngannou was stripped of the heavyweight title in January after his UFC contract expired, and the two sides were unable to agree to terms on a new deal.

In an interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour (h/t Steven Marrocco of MMAFighting.com), Ngannou explained he wanted a three-fight deal from UFC that he could finish within one year before going into boxing.

The deal likely would have included a bout against Jones at UFC 285, followed by a third fight against Stipe Miocic and a second fight with Jones. His main sticking point with the offer is it was a fairly standard UFC contract.

"In that contract, I'm not free," Ngannou said. "I'm not an independent contractor. I have no rights. I hand over all the power to you guys. I've seen in the past how you guys can utilize your power against me, and I don't want that."

Ngannou has been a vocal critic of UFC's pay structure in the past. He's moved into boxing with the hope of fighting Deontay Wilder. The Predator has also talked about his hopes for a potential bout against Tyson Fury with TMZ.

Jones made his return to UFC after a three-year absence at UFC 285 on March 4. He defeated Ciryl Gane via submission in his heavyweight debut to win the vacant title.

Ngannou was on a six-fight winning streak and the reigning heavyweight champion at the time he left the promotion. The 36-year-old has a 17-3 career record with 12 knockouts or TKOs in his mixed martial arts career.

Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya voiced his support for Francis Ngannou in his fight to get better pay for fighters in the promotion.

Speaking to reporters in Australia after Saturday's UFC 284 event, Adesanya explained Ngannou was "not being a diva" with his contract demands:

"I've been saying the same thing. I'm not gonna harp on about it, but he's right, it's little things —he's asking for things that should be mandatory. He wasn't asking for, you know, crazy, ridiculous diva-ish demands. There's something as little as for the guys fighting on the opening [bout], having the fourth or third corner man being paid for and the hotel is being paid for. That sets them up nicely, and they don't have to fork it out of their 10 and 10, to pay for their fourth or third corner. Little things like that."

UFC president Dana White announced on Jan. 14 that Ngannou was stripped of the heavyweight title and free to negotiate with other promotions after the two sides couldn't come to terms on a new contract.

Appearing on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani on Jan. 17 (h/t ESPN's Marc Raimondi), Ngannou explained UFC rejected all of his requests including waiving extension clauses and providing health insurance for all fighters under contract.

"In that contract, I'm not free," Ngannou said of what UFC wanted to give him. "In that contract, I'm not an independent contractor. In that contract, I have no rights, I have no power. I hand over all the power to you guys, and I've seen in the past how you can utilize that power."

There has been a growing discussion around the pay and benefits for fighters in UFC. Raimondi noted in August that recent data from an ongoing antitrust lawsuit involving former fighters against the promotion shows that UFC pays its fighters around 20 percent of its revenue.

According to Raimondi, sports leagues like the NFL, NBA and MLB share about 50 percent of their revenue with players. One key difference between those leagues and the UFC is those leagues are unionized and have collective bargaining agreements.

There are no mixed martial arts promotions that have a union. Ngannou is planning to switch to boxing when he recovers from damage suffered to his ACL and MCL in his victory over Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 in January 2022.

Deontay Wilder recently told Trill Boxing (via the Mirror's Donagh Corby) he would like to sign a two-fight deal with Ngannou that includes one boxing match and one mixed martial arts match.

Ngannou also accepted a challenge from WBC and The Ring heavyweight champion Tyson Fury for a special-rules fight to take place at some point in 2023. He agreed to the fight on Twitter, and there's no indication at this point any deal has been signed, so take it with a grain of salt.

At the time Ngannou left UFC, he was the undisputed heavyweight champion. The 36-year-old has a 17-3 career record in mixed martial arts and won each of his last six fights in UFC.

Boxing star Deontay Wilder provided Francis Ngannou with a lucrative path forward following the former heavyweight champion's split with the UFC.

Wilder said in a Jan. 26 interview with Trill Boxing (via the Mirror's Donagh Corby) he'd like to sign a two-fight deal with Ngannou that would allow them to compete in a boxing ring as well as an MMA cage.

"I even thought about this idea," Wilder said. "I said, 'Alright, let's make it a two-fight deal. Everybody always comes to boxing; let's do this: you come to my s--t; I'll come to yours.' I'm a true warrior, that even makes it more exciting, and I'm serious about that, too. That's something I thought about even since the first spark of the idea."

In January, UFC President Dana White confirmed Ngannou was no longer with the promotion after contract discussions between the two sides broke down. White said the star had declined "a deal that would've made him the highest-paid heavyweight in the history of the company."

Ngannou responded by telling Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour (via ESPN's Marc Raimondi) money wasn't his sole motivator when weighing his next steps and contended that the UFC failed to fulfill all of the requests he laid out.

The 36-year-old is 17-3 with 12 knockouts in MMA, but he'd be significantly overmatched in a boxing ring opposite Wilder. "The Bronze Bomber" has a 43-2-1 record, and all but one of his wins have come by knockout.

Of course, the roles would be reversed when Ngannou and Wilder were competing with MMA rules.

A two-fight agreement figures to be lucrative for the pair. Unfortunately for Wilder, he's not the only boxer pursuing this opportunity. On Monday, Ngannou responded to comments from Tyson Fury and agreed to all of the conditions Fury had laid out for a theoretical bout:

The ball appears to be in Ngannou's court.

Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou said Friday that he has been in contact with heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury's camp about setting up a potential fight.

Speaking to TMZ Sports (beginning at the 2:35 mark), Ngannou discussed the steps that have been taken toward a clash with Fury and when it could possibly happen:

"I've talked to somebody. Some of [Fury's] advisors, but they're working on a fight with [Oleksandr] Usyk in April. So, until then, he will not be free, but I'm trying to see if we can have an agreement before that fight.

"That will also give me some time to prepare for a boxing fight. I have no problem with that timeline. I hope [it] will be sometime in June, July, which is doable. Let's see. I think it's too early to make a conclusion. It's too early to say anything about it, but it's definitely something that we're looking into."

A bout between Ngannou and Fury has been talked about for nearly a year, dating back to when Ngannou joined Fury in the ring after Fury beat Dillian Whyte in London in April 2022.

Ngannou and Fury gave a joint interview and expressed their desire to fight in a hybrid bout that would include both boxing and MMA elements:

The 36-year-old Ngannou fought under the UFC umbrella from 2015 to 2022 and posted a 17-3 record with 12 wins by way of knockout overall during his professional MMA career.

Ngannou beat Stipe Miocic for the UFC heavyweight title in March 2021 and successfully defended it against Cyril Gane in January 2022, but that would prove to be his final fight.

UFC and Ngannou failed to come to terms on a new contract this month, resulting in Ngannou vacating the title and being free to work elsewhere.

Much like Conor McGregor stepping outside UFC to have a boxing match against Floyd Mayweather Jr., Ngannou would be in line for the highest-profile and highest-paying fight of his combat sports career if he mixes it up with Fury.

The 34-year-old Fury has never lost in 34 career pro boxing fights, going 33-0-1 with 24 knockouts. He is the reigning WBC heavyweight champion and one of the biggest personalities in all of sports.

Fury vs. Usyk is the biggest possible boxing match currently since Usyk is undefeated and holds the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, IBO and The Ring heavyweight titles, meaning a bout with Fury would crown an undisputed heavyweight champion.

Although Fury vs. Ngannou would be more of a novelty meant to appeal to both boxing and MMA fans, it would likely generate a ton of interest and pay-per-view revenue, making it a worthwhile endeavor for both fighters.

In case a proposed fight between Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou doesn't have enough star power already, Fury wants boxing legend Mike Tyson to referee the bout.

The Gypsy King discussed the potential match on Saturday:

"Francis Ngannou, I know you're out of contract with the UFC," Fury said (h/t Dan Hiergesell of MMA Mania). "You want to earn some big-boy money? Come and see the 'Gypsy King,' and let's do a big, big fight for the baddest MF on the planet. Let's kick it up spicy in a cage, four-ounce gloves, under Queensbury, and let's have a badass referee like 'Iron' Mike Tyson."

Ngannou won the UFC heavyweight title before being released from his contract earlier this month, making him a free agent. Though his next move hasn't been decided, there likely wouldn't be anything bigger than a fight against Fury, an undefeated boxer considered one of the top stars in the sport.

The two teased a hybrid fight last April, although Ngannou was still under contract with the UFC at the time.

It seems Fury is still hopeful for this type of fight, featuring a cage and lighter gloves to replicate an MMA competition. Adding Tyson, a former heavyweight boxing champion, only adds to the intrigue.