Francis Ngannou coach opens door to UFC return: ‘Enough time has passed’

Francis Ngannou could potentially end up fighting for the UFC again, according to his long-time coach.

Ngannou is the former UFC heavyweight champion. He never actually lost the belt, instead vacating the title when he parted ways with the promotion in 2023. In other words, he’s still the lineal MMA heavyweight champion.

Ngannou (18-3) had several reasons for leaving the UFC. The biggest reason was that he didn’t feel he was being compensated fairly. He also wanted to try his hand at pro boxing, which the promotion would not let him do.

Leaving the UFC to pursue better options was a massive gamble for Ngannou. However, it definitely paid off. He ultimately signed a deal with the PFL (Professional Fighters League), and more notably partook in a pair of blockbuster boxing matches against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. He lost both boxing matches, but made tens of millions of dollars in the process—far more than he’s made in his entire 21-fight MMA career.

While the move ultimately paid off for Ngannou, it made him one of the UFC’s biggest enemies. In fact, some feel UFC boss Dana White has been trying to erase Ngannou from the promotion’s history books, and there’s good reason to believe that.

Could Francis Ngannou really return to the UFC?

The hostility between Ngannou and the UFC gave the impression that there was no chance of reconciliation. Yet according to Ngannou’s coach Eric Nicksick, it may still be possible.

“Enough time has passed, I would love to see them mend these fences and get back to competing in the UFC,” Nicksick told Home of Fight (via MMA Mania). “I think it’s more about business than it is about ego, at least it is from Francis’ side. Now where does his motivations come from? It’s not about money, it’s about competition. And the best competition is in the UFC.”

During his time with the UFC, Francis Ngannou defeated the likes of Andrei Arlovski, Junior dos Santos, Alistair Overeem, Cain Velasquez, Stipe Miocic, and Ciryl Gane. He has fought for the PFL once since his boxing match, smashing Renan Ferreira to a first-round TKO.