It’s been over two years since we last saw Francis Ngannou in mixed martial arts (MMA) action.
2024 is expected to be the year Ngannou returns to the sport he made his name in and debut for his new fighting home, Professional Fighters League (PFL). The former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Heavyweight champion signed with the promotion in early 2023 and has since boxed twice before getting back in a cage.
In Ngannou’s absence, PFL standout, Renan Ferreira, won the division’s seasonal tournament and iced Bellator Heavyweight titleholder, Ryan Bader, in 21 seconds (watch highlights). Ngannou now has an idea of when he’ll make his long-awaited debut.
“I think Renan Ferreira is the guy,” Ngannou said on The Joe Rogan Experience (h/t MMA Fighting). “I’ve been telling people about this guy for almost two years. Very athletic. Fast hands, knees, very athletic. I think it’s going to be him.
“That’s what the PFL is working on. October, sometime,” he concluded. “They’re working on October. It’s not finalized but they were talking about October 19.”
A lot of the speculation around Ngannou has been about what sport he’ll compete in going forward after debuting in boxing. While his first two matches against Tyson Fury (watch highlights) and Anthony Joshua (watch highlights) didn’t go his way, he plans to get back in the squared circle after his MMA return.
“I will say MMA [is definitely] next,” Ngannou said. “Because I was supposed to fight, it’s been a little over a year now since the PFL agreement, and I was supposed to have a fight within a year so now we’re getting a little out of the timeline.”
Ngannou, 37, last saw his hand raised in his only UFC title defense when he earned a unanimous decision against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270. Despite having missed a small chunk of time in MMA due to injuries, contract negotiations, and his boxing endeavors, Ngannou believes he has a handful of good years left in him before he can put a bow on his storybook run to the top of the combat sports mountain.
“I want to leave the sport before the sport leaves me,” Ngannou said. “I’m thinking like 41. By [then]. Maybe in my 40s, I still feel like I have it. If I feel like at 41, I feel like I have it … take one at a time. What I really don’t want to do is wake up and go to the gym like I’m forced [to go]. If I feel like I have it or I’m excited, oh today’s a sparring day, I’m going to get there whether I beat somebody up or they’re going to beat me up. Either way, I’m excited.
“If I still have that, I’ll keep going,” he concluded. “As soon as I don’t have that, even if I’m not 40 yet, I think that’s a sign.”