Francis Ngannou, the Cameroonian mixed martial artist, is gearing up for his return to MMA with the Professional Fighters League (PFL) this summer, according to PFL CEO Peter Murray. The promotion is set to announce Ngannou’s opponent later this month.
Ngannou, 37, made headlines recently for his venture into boxing, with a highly anticipated bout against Britain’s Anthony Joshua scheduled for March 8 in Riyadh. This follows Ngannou’s debut in heavyweight boxing last October, where he faced Tyson Fury in a split-decision defeat.
Despite his foray into boxing, Ngannou has yet to make his debut in the PFL since joining the promotion last year. Murray expressed excitement about Ngannou’s return to MMA, highlighting the promotion’s plans for an event in the second half of the year.
“We’ll have another event in the second half of the year, this summer likely, and we expect Francis to return to MMA in the PFL Smartcage,” said Murray. He also emphasized not to underestimate Ngannou in his upcoming boxing match against Anthony Joshua.
In addition to Ngannou’s anticipated return, the PFL recently acquired fellow MMA promotion Bellator and will host its first event featuring fighters from both rosters in a champion versus champion card in Riyadh on February 24.
Murray stated that the PFL intends to announce details about Ngannou’s opponent “in conjunction with our 24 February event,” further adding to the anticipation surrounding Ngannou’s future in combat sports.
Ngannou, a former UFC heavyweight champion, has been sidelined from MMA since defending his title against Ciryl Gane in January 2022 due to a knee injury. Despite his absence, Ngannou’s presence in the combat sports world remains significant, with his remarkable performance against Fury drawing widespread attention and speculation about his future in boxing.