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PFL confident of striking deal to sign former UFC champion Francis Ngannou: ‘It’s all positive’

PFL (Professional Fighter’s League) president and former kickboxing star, Ray Sefo has commented on the promotion’s chances of agreeing a deal to sign former undisputed UFC heavyweight titleholder, Francis Ngannou, claiming talks between the two parties have all been “positive”. Ngannou, a former undisputed heavyweight champion under the banner of the UFC, departed the organization […]

Ngannou, a former undisputed heavyweight champion under the banner of the UFC, departed the organization back in January of this year officially, after his contractual obligations with the promotion expired back in December of last year.

The Batié native has, however, been linked with a move to another mixed martial arts banner following his Octagon exit, Cameroon knockout artist, Ngannou has welcomed the opportunity to sign with the aforenoted, PFL, as well as the ONE Championship promotion in Singapore – claiming both are the current frontrunners for his signature.

Ray Sefo talks up PFL’s chances of inking terms with UFC alum, Francis Ngannou

Furthermore, the 36-year-old has stressed his interest in competing in professional boxing next, and has been linked with a slew of matchups, against the likes of Anthony Joshua, Andy Ruiz Jr., Tyson Fury – and most notably, former WBC heavyweight champion, Deontay Wilder.

“That is correct, we’ve had a few meetings with Francis (Ngannou) and those discussions are still going on,” Ray Sefo told MMA Junkie during a recent interview. “Obviously, there’s a few other things he also wants to pursue which is boxing and he knows where we stand with it, too. So, you know, it’s all positive should I say, right?”

In the midst of a six-fight undefeated run professionally, Francis Ngannou most recently unified the heavyweight titles with a unanimous decision win over former interim titleholder, Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 back in January of last year.

In prior victories, Francis Ngannou has landed consecutive wins over Curtis Blaydes, Cain Velasquez, Junior dos Santos, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, and in his heavyweight championship coronation, defeated Stipe Miocic with a second round knockout back in March 2021.

UFC alum Francis Ngannou pegged to make PFL move soon following Octagon departure: ‘I know he’s coming’

Former undisputed UFC heavyweight champion, Francis Ngannou has been backed to make a move to the PFL (Professional Fighters League) in the near future following his start-of-year Octagon departure, by former UFC welterweight title challenger, Dan Hardy. Ngannou, a former undisputed heavyweight champion under the banner of the UFC, saw his contractual obligations with the […]

Ngannou, a former undisputed heavyweight champion under the banner of the UFC, saw his contractual obligations with the promotion come to an end back in December of last year.

Stripped of his status as undisputed champion and removed from the official organizational rankings, Batié native, Ngannou also saw his period of exclusive negotiating with the UFC waived by the promotion, who showed the Cameroon native the proverbial door.

Most recently competing in professional mixed martial arts back in January of last year atop a UFC 270 card in Anaheim, California, Francis Ngannou defeated Ciryl Gane in a unanimous decision title unification success.

Weighing up a potential professional boxing transition against former WBC heavyweight champion, Deontay WIlder of note, Ngannou confirmed recently that both the PFL and the Chatri Sityodtong-led ONE Championship were leading the face for his signature.

Dan Hardy expects the PFL to successfully push for Francis Ngannou’s signature

And according to Hardy, who himself recently joined PFL as their European head of fighter operations, expects Ngannou to follow in his path and join the organization’s heavyweight ranks next.

“We’ll [the PFL] have Francis Ngannou in no time coming over and fighting for it,” Dan Hardy told Middleeasy during a recent interview. “I just feel it in my bones. I know he’s coming. I just know he’s coming. I can just feel it. It makes sense. His demands for the UFC is exactly what the PFL are offering.”

“So, everything that he was asking for from the UFC, it’s already on the table over here as long as the money’s on the table alongside to match the heavyweight king’s purse, then I think you’ll be happy and I think we can certainly do that for him,” Dan Hardy continued. (Transcribed by BJPENN.com)

Winning the undisputed UFC heavyweight crown back in March 2021 in a championship rematch against Stipe Miocic, Ngannou stopped the Ohio veteran with a thunderous second round KO at the UFC Apex facility.

Video – Jake Paul wrestles with UFC star Bo Nickal ahead of MMA bow with the PFL this year

Social media superstar Jake Paul was seen grappling with one of the hottest prospects in the UFC, Bo Nickal. Although this may come as a surprise, the 26-year-old could use as much help as he could get heading into his PFL debut sometime this year. Paul, who has often been ridiculed for fighting MMA fighters […]

Social media superstar Jake Paul was seen grappling with one of the hottest prospects in the UFC, Bo Nickal.

Although this may come as a surprise, the 26-year-old could use as much help as he could get heading into his PFL debut sometime this year.

Paul, who has often been ridiculed for fighting MMA fighters in a boxing ring rather than a cage, announced that he would be signing with the PFL on January 5th.

Signed, Sealed, Delivered. Welcome to the Professional Fighters League @jakepaul pic.twitter.com/pgMDUprK6S

— PFL (@PFLMMA) January 5, 2023

The now professional turned boxer has no MMA experience, so a session with grappling phenom Nickal certainly does not stain his learning period.

Nickal is a former three-time NCAA Division 1 national wrestling champion.

The 27-year-old middleweight is no veteran of the game himself, having only made his MMA debut in 2022, yet he has rallied an immense support in his brief 4-0 career.

This involves three-straight first round submissions under the UFC branch, including his pay-per-view debut where he flawlessly choked Jamie Pickett at UFC 285, as a massive -1800 favourite.

The two may not share much in common, but Nickal has offered to assist Jake Paul’s transition to MMA in the past, and he is signed under Paul’s betting company, Betr.

Jake Paul, who is coming off his first defeat in professional boxing against Tommy Fury, is yet to announce whether his next fight will take place in boxing or MMA, but a bout with the PFL in the near future is inevitable.

The heavily criticized Ohio native was very much disliked by the MMA community in the past, feuding with stars online such as Nate Diaz, Conor McGregor, and Jorge Masvidal to name a few.

Although, he was similarly hated for his antics heading into professional boxing, and he would like to prove his doubters wrong in an identical fashion.

Paul’s multi-year historic deal with the PFL includes a co-created pay-per-view division called “PFL PPV Super Fight,” a division that guarantees fighters will receive 50% of revenue from its events.

The PFL have not exactly hinted at Jake Paul’s potential opponents, although Paul was rumoured to have offered free agent Nate Diaz a two-fight deal.

Will Jake Paul reach the same stardom in MMA as he did in boxing?

Francis Ngannou expects to make return with PFL or ONE Championship after UFC exit: ‘We are very close’

Former undisputed UFC heavyweight champion, Francis Ngannou has confirmed that he will make a return to professional mixed martial arts following his Octagon departure in January – revealing he is close to penning deals with either the PFL (Professional Fighters League), or ONE Championship. Ngannou, a former undisputed heavyweight champion under the banner of the […]

Ngannou, a former undisputed heavyweight champion under the banner of the UFC, departed the Dana White-led organization back in January of this year, after he completed his contractual obligations in the month prior.

The Batié native was subsequently stripped of his heavyweight title, removed from the official rankings and granted his immediate release from the organization – with the UFC also waiving their exclusive matching rights period, allowing Ngannou to field offers from other promotions.

Francis Ngannou confirms he is close to inking a deal with the PFL, or ONE Championship

Confirming that former WBC heavyweight champion, Deontay Wilder is the current frontrunner to welcome him to professional boxing, Ngannou stressed that he would first enter the the squared circle in his post-UFC, before making a return to MMA. And the Cameroonian has confirmed either PFL or ONE Championship will gain his services.

“I have made a decision,” Francis Ngannou told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. “Without making a done deal, I know what my next move is going to be. I know that I want to fight boxing first and then after that I will fight MMA. I’m going to sign with one MMA promotion. I haven’t made a decision on that yet [but I’m] very close. … PFL and ONE FC fright now, we are very close. We will see.”

In his most recent Octagon walk, Francis Ngannou managed to successfully unify the heavyweight titles with a unanimous decision win over former interim champion, Ciryl Gane in the main event of UFC 270 back in January of last year.

Ngannou also recently denied claims issued by the above-mentioned, White, that he intentionally avoided a fight with newly minted heavyweight champion, Jon Jones before his January UFC departure, claiming he initiated talks to fight the Endicott native after winning the crown back in 2021.

Francis Ngannou flirts with PFL, ONE Championship moves, reveals ‘Serious’ talks have taken place

Francis Ngannou revealed that he has “serious” offers from multiple combat sports promotions including the Professional Fighters League and ONE Championship. In January, UFC president Dana White revealed that the promotion was parting ways with its then-heavyweight champion after nearly two years of negotiations hit a stalemate. Since then, the UFC has crowned a new […]

Francis Ngannou revealed that he has “serious” offers from multiple combat sports promotions including the Professional Fighters League and ONE Championship.

In January, UFC president Dana White revealed that the promotion was parting ways with its then-heavyweight champion after nearly two years of negotiations hit a stalemate. Since then, the UFC has crowned a new heavyweight king in the returning Jon Jones. After more than three years away from the Octagon, ‘Bones’ returned to deliver a showstopping two-minute submission of Ciryl Gane to capture the vacant heavyweight championship.

As for Francis Ngannou, ‘The Predator’ is hoping to secure his first foray into professional boxing this summer, but during an interview with ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, Ngannou revealed that he is in serious talks with multiple combat sports organizations, including one set to make their North American debut this May.

“I have been having some serious conversations with PFL. Also with ONE [Championship],” Ngannou revealed. Not so much with Bellator, but there’s not a rush since my first fight has to be in boxing so that’s where my focus is at right now. If I have some good conditions, if I have a reason, I think there is a right contract with the right terms, maybe. I have no problem making an agreement before I step into a boxing fight.”

Who Will Win the Francis Ngannou Lottery?

Those words from Francis Ngannou are likely a sting to the eardrums of Bellator CEO Scott Coker who, by all accounts, has made a strong play for Ngannou’s services following his departure from the UFC. Appearing on The MMA Hour, Coker said that it was “50/50” as to whether or not they would be able to sign ‘The Predator’ to a mutually-beneficial contract. Based on Ngannou’s own words, it sounds like Bellator may be forced to walk away from the negotiating table.

Francis Ngannou has been previously tied to talks with the PFL. Given its tournament format and the million-dollar top prize, it would likely be a perfect fit for the Cameroonian.

With ONE Championship scheduled to make its long-awaited U.S. debut on May 5 at the 1stBank Center in Colorado, the promotion’s founder and CEO Chatri Sityodtong is likely to make a strong play for ‘The Predator’ in order to boost its North American profile and take a chunk of the pie that the UFC has been hoarding for three decades. ONE Championship would also provide Francis Ngannou with some genuinely intriguing matchups.

The promotion is currently home to 17-time BJJ world champion Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almedia who is 4-0 in his still-developing MMA career. There is also a potential meeting with ONE Championship’s Fighter of the Year, Anatoly Malykhin. The Russian juggernaut stunned fans with a first-round knockout of former ONE light heavyweight world champion Reinier de Ridder in December and currently sits as a two-division titleholder.

Ex-UFC champion Francis Ngannou claims he never avoided Jon Jones: ‘I would fight him twice a month’

Francis Ngannou may never step foot in a UFC Octagon again, but he assures MMA fans that the last thing on his mind before leaving the promotion was avoiding Jon Jones. Nearly a week has passed since Jones took over the heavyweight division in his UFC return, and since then he and Ngannou have remained […]

Francis Ngannou may never step foot in a UFC Octagon again, but he assures MMA fans that the last thing on his mind before leaving the promotion was avoiding Jon Jones.

Nearly a week has passed since Jones took over the heavyweight division in his UFC return, and since then he and Ngannou have remained a topic of conversation.

Once Jones’ arm was raised at UFC 285, Francis Ngannou sent out a tweet which many have considered to be a backhanded compliment.

During the post-fight press conference, Jones had the tweet read to him, and he did not have a kind choice of words for his heavyweight counterpart.

Speaking yesterday with ESPN MMA’s Brett Okamoto, Francis Ngannou said that he is at peace with himself and is not concerned by Jones’ comments because he pursued that matchup before his departure.

“I did everything to have that fight. At the end it just felt like begging to keep me, and maybe do something that I don’t want. Yes I wanted that fight, but not at any cost.”

Ngannou was not amused by Dana White’s public comments stating that he avoided a fight with Jones.

He doubled down on the idea that the sole reason he parted ways with the UFC was due to the promotion failing to meet his contract demands on numerous occasions.

“I don’t care about what Dana White said, that was my call not his call.”

He once again took his thoughts to Twitter with videos of White’s change of heart which Francis Ngannou clearly felt was hypocritical.

Ngannou was seen watching Jones’ return against Ciryl Gane with his family in a positive manner and he says this is because he was simply a viewer just like everyone else, and he did not feel any differently after seeing Jones win.

Speaking with several promotions since his UFC exit, Ngannou said that fans should not look back and ponder at the matchup which never took place.

It seems as though the two colossal figures will never cross paths again, and Francis Ngannou is certain that the last thing on his mind was fearing Jones.

“There is not a fight on earth that I will back down from. He might be the best fighter ever, but he’s not the guy that I’m running away from.”

“I would fight Jon Jones twice a month.”

Although the two may have some unfriendly words for each other going forward, the bout is one that fans will have to look past, as Ngannou has his sights set on a professional debut in the boxing ring.

“I want to do one boxing match first, then maybe go back to MMA.”

Ngannou said that he had spoken to Eddie Hearn about a potential matchup with Anthony Joshua, but the majority of the conversation has been with Deontay Wilder’s team.

He dreams of a massive boxing event in Africa, and did not rule out the possibility of returning to MMA one day, as he also had talks with PFL and ONE FC.

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