Francis Ngannou News
Interim Boxing champion reveals Francis Ngannou turned down December 23rd bout: "Walk in the park for me"
Josh Evanoff - December 1, 2023
Zhilei Zhang nearly booked a boxing match against Francis Ngannou for later this month. ‘The Predator’ famously made his boxing debut in October, against Tyson Fury. Despite Francis Ngannou entering the matchup as a massive underdog, he nearly shocked ‘The Gypsy King’. The PFL heavyweight scored a knockdown in round three, and even cut the British boxer.
Dan Hardy: "Anthony Joshua's probably one of the better matchups for Francis Ngannou"
Fernando Quiles - November 26, 2023
Former UFC fighter and current head of fighter operations for PFL Europe Dan Hardy believes Francis Ngannou has the edge over Anthony Joshua in a potential boxing match. Ngannou has made waves in boxing world after nearly defeating WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury in a 10-round match. Ngannou lost the bout via split decision. In the aftermath of the fight, Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn has shared interest in booking a boxing match with Ngannou.
Ben Rothwell expresses interest in fighting Francis Ngannou under the PFL banner: “Something like that would be fun”
Susan Cox - November 23, 2023
Ben Rothwell is expressing an interest in fighting Francis Ngannou under the PFL banner. Rothwell (39-14 MMA) parted ways with with UFC in 2022 after 13 years with the promotion. The 42 year old subsequently signed with the BKFC where he holds a record of 2-0.
PFL’s Donn Davis wants Ngannou vs. Wilder to be a "mixed-rules" fight
Zain Bando - November 21, 2023
Monday marked a historic day for MMA, as Donn Davis’ PFL and Scott Coker’s Bellator unified to become second-fiddle to the UFC. It also teased speculation about what could be next on the boxing side of things, specifically for former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. Donn Davis, who appeared on the latest edition of “The MMA Hour” with Ariel Helwani, said there is a possibility of Ngannou fighting Deontay Wilder, the former WBC heavyweight champion.
Francis Ngannou’s coach pinpoints who would be the tougher matchup between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall
Fernando Quiles - November 19, 2023
Francis Ngannou’s MMA coach Eric Nicksick has given his take on whether Jon Jones or Tom Aspinall would be the tougher fight for “The Predator.” Ngannou is currently enjoying the fruits of his labor in the boxing world after nearly upsetting WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. While Ngannou is scheduled to make his PFL debut in 2024, most agree that a boxing match would be the next logical move for the former UFC heavyweight champion. Even when his schedule becomes clear, many feel the big MMA fights for Ngannou would’ve been under the UFC banner.
Tyson Fury reveals mind-boggling payout for Francis Ngannou boxing match
Josh Evanoff - November 17, 2023
Tyson Fury reportedly made far more than Francis Ngannou in their high-profile boxing match last month. Last month in Saudi Arabia, ‘The Gypsy King ‘and ‘The Predator’ faced off. The boxing match was the first in the career of Francis Ngannou, while the bout was the only thing standing between Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk. The heavyweight title unification was tentatively slated for December 23rd.
Francis Ngannou officially added to the WBC heavyweight rankings
Susan Cox - November 15, 2023
Francis Ngannou has been officially added to the WBC heavyweight rankings. The former UFC heavyweight champion is now sitting at No. 10 in the WBC heavyweight rankings following his split decision loss to Tyson Fury in his professional boxing debut last month.
Francis Ngannou says fans should blame the UFC for Jon Jones fight not coming to fruition: “We both were asking for it”
Susan Cox - November 15, 2023
Francis Ngannou is saying that fans should blame the UFC for Jon Jones fight not coming to fruition. While Ngannou (17-3 MMA) was still with the UFC he did want to battle Jon Jones (27-1 MMA) in the Octagon.
Jake Paul says it’s “a shame” that Dana White isn’t willing to collaborate with PFL for Jones vs. Ngannou: “We share the same media partner?”
Harry Kettle - November 14, 2023
Jake Paul has questioned why Dana White wouldn’t be willing to co-promote with PFL for Jon Jones vs Francis Ngannou. It’s well-known that fight fans want to see Jon Jones vs Francis Ngannou. The only problem, of course, is that Jones is signed to UFC, and Ngannou is signed to PFL. Many have suggested that the two promotions could work together on the bout and put on a monstrous co-promotion.
Dana White reacts to the idea of cross promoting Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou
Fernando Quiles - November 12, 2023
It is quite clear that UFC CEO Dana White has no plans doing business of any kind with PFL MMA. Francis Ngannou’s stock has soared in the world of boxing after he went the distance with Tyson Fury. He almost defeated Fury at his own game. While Ngannou is enjoying great success outside of the UFC, one of the downfalls is that the lone appealing MMA fight for him is against Jon Jones.
Chael Sonnen shares his side of Ariel Helwani fiasco: "His opening line to me was a lie"
Zain Bando - November 8, 2023
Chael Sonnen has responded to Ariel Helwani after the pair argued over the Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou pay-per-view numbers. For context, Sonnen, the former UFC middleweight and light heavyweight title challenger came on a recent episode of “The MMA Hour” to discuss Ngannou’s near-victory against the WBC heavyweight champion, plus whether or not Ngannou was the rightful winner in the entire saga.
Deontay Wilder confirms plans to crossover to MMA amid talks with Francis Ngannou: "I'll be a dangerous man"
Josh Evanoff - November 8, 2023
Former heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder is serious about potentially facing Francis Ngannou in the cage. ‘The Bronze Bomber’ is currently awaiting his next opponent, defeating Robert Helenius last year. Following the win, Deontay Wilder was ordered to face Andy Ruiz Jr. by the WBC. However, talks with ‘Destroyer’ as well as Anthony Joshua fell apart, leaving the former champion without an opponent.
REPORT | Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou did better PPV numbers than first believed
Josh Evanoff - November 7, 2023
According to Ariel Helwani, Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou’s boxing match was far more successful than first thought. ‘The Gypsy King’ and ‘The Predator’ faced off in a high-profile boxing match last month in Saudi Arabia. The two headlined an ESPN pay-per-view offering, with Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou in the main event. Despite the boxer heading into the matchup a massive favorite, it didn’t look that way on fight night.
Israel Adesanya explains why he wants to see Francis Ngannou fight in MMA next: “I just want to see him use all f*cking limbs”
Harry Kettle - November 7, 2023
Israel Adesanya has explained why he wants to see his close friend Francis Ngannou compete in MMA for his next fight. Last month, Francis Ngannou went toe to toe with Tyson Fury in his first pro boxing match. It was an intriguing, competitive affair, and in the end, Fury was the one who edged out a decision win. In equal measure, though, Ngannou put forward a sensational showing and even managed to drop ‘The Gypsy King’ in the third round.
Mike Tyson gushes over Francis Ngannou's efforts against Tyson Fury: "He listened to everything I said"
Fernando Quiles - November 5, 2023
International boxing Hall of Famer Mike Tyson is quite pleased with Francis Ngannou. Ngannou was a massive underdog going into his boxing match with WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury late last month. “The Predator” made fools of many by knocking “The Gypsy King” down and almost defeating him at his own game.
UFC veteran Matt Brown thinks Jon Jones is the only MMA fight for Francis Ngannou: "That’s the biggest fight you could make in MMA history"
Fernando Quiles - November 5, 2023
Matt Brown is of the belief that Jon Jones is the only name Francis Ngannou should be fighting under MMA rules. Ngannou’s stock has never been higher. Boxing and MMA experts gave Ngannou very little chance in his boxing match with WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. “The Predator” not only knocked “The Gypsy King” down, but he almost defeated him in what most thought would be a one-sided fight. Fury won the bout via split decision, but Ngannou sure doesn’t feel like a loser.
Billy Joe Saunders weighs in on the controversial Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou result: “It wasn’t a robbery”
Harry Kettle - November 3, 2023
Billy Joe Saunders has given his thoughts on the controversy surrounding the Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou result. Last weekend, Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou battled it out in a huge boxing superfight in Saudi Arabia. While Fury was able to get the decision win, many felt as if Ngannou had done enough to get his hand raised. Either way, ‘The Predator’ put in a great showing, whereas ‘The Gypsy King’ fell way short of the mark.
REPORT | Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou pay-per-view did 'terrible' numbers
Josh Evanoff - November 2, 2023
Francis Ngannou and Tyson Fury’s boxing match reportedly didn’t do well on pay-per-view. ‘The Predator’ and ‘The Gypsy King’ faced off in Saudi Arabia over the weekend. There, Francis Ngannou and Tyson Fury headlined an ESPN pay-per-view offering, in the former UFC champion’s first fight. Entering the bout, the PFL star was a massive underdog but did much better than many expected.