The
Professional Fighters League has business to conduct beyond the
introduction of its new World Tournament format in 2025. Francis
Ngannou, the most important fighter on the company’s roster,
could take his combat sports career in a variety of directions,
with a host of options available to him.
Ngannou ranks as the top attraction for the PFL and also serves as
the chairman of PFL Africa, enhancing his long-term importance to
the organization. With the PFL looking to find success and build
new stars through its international leagues across the globe,
Ngannou will have a significant impact—inside and outside the cage.
“The Predator” made his long-awaited promotional debut at PFL
“Battle of the Giants,” where he punched out Renan
Ferreira in the first round of their Oct. 19 pay-per-view
headliner. It afforded Ferreira, a rising star within the company,
the opportunity to challenge one of the biggest names in the sport
and drew plenty of attention.
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PFL CEO Peter Murray plans to allow Ngannou to chart his own
course.
“Francis is going to continue to be active in combat sports,”
Murray said. “Talking to him recently, boxing is in the mix [and]
MMA is in the mix with the PFL, [along with his] PFL Africa
[duties].”
While options for Ngannou’s next fight are still being explored,
Murray pointed to his potential impact with PFL Africa—a largely
untapped market for mixed martial arts.
“We were just [in a meeting] with Francis earlier in the week going
through the roster,” Murray said. “He’s bringing a big point of
view to who gets in the league and why. The bar is pretty high.
There’s amazing talent across the continent. Francis gets to go
back and develop that next generation of athletes from Africa who
don’t have to leave the continent like he and many other athletes
did to make a professional career and a living. We think it’s going
to be really special, as does Francis.”
Following his release from the
Ultimate Fighting Championship in 2022, Ngannou signed a
landmark deal with the PFL as a fighter and executive. His contract
not only benefits Ngannou but whatever opponents he faces.
Understanding the weight the Cameroon native carries in the sport,
the PFL also provided him with the opportunity to have a lasting
impact through its reach around the world.
Outside of the cage, the PFL allowed Ngannou to pursue boxing
matches against two of the biggest names in the sport: Tyson Fury
and Anthony
Joshua. Despite losing to both, Ngannou managed to raise his
stock and boost his stardom—especially against Fury. He knocked
down the 6-foot-9 Englishman before losing a contentious 10-round
split decision.