The Francis Ngannou next fight news should arrive early next year, following a successful PFL MMA debut. Until then, we look at three likely opponents for his return fight in 2025.
Who will Francis Ngannou next fight be against?
After a pair of losses in boxing, Ngannou made a successful return to MMA in October with a dominant first-round technical knockout win over former PFL champion Renan Ferreira. “The Predator” won’t return until 2025, but when he does a dream match with Jon Jones or boxing bouts against Deontay Wilder or Tyson Fury should be next.
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- Bones: Jones vs. Ngannou is the fight everyone wants and there are rumors the Saudis might be willing to throw Dana White a massive payday to make a fight happen. If Jones loses to Miocic in December, it might boost the chances of a crossover fight.
- Bronze Bomber: Wilder vs. Ngannou was rumored before he made his debut with PFL. With no clear opponent for him in the cage, a matchup with the heavyweight great in boxing would make a lot of sense.
- Gypsy King: Ngannou vs. Fury was one of the biggest fights of 2023. If the Englishman falls against Oleksandr Usyk in December, a rematch with the MMA superstar as the final fight of his career is very possible.
Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira recap
As many expected, Ngannou made a triumphant return to MMA in October for the PFL. The former UFC champion delivered exactly what the league was hoping for and proved he is still a monster inside the cage.
What happened: Early in his bout with Ferreira, Ngannou surprisingly went for and scored a takedown. He would go on to show that his ground skills continued to evolve as he kept the Brazilian grounded and pummeled him into defeat.
The fallout: For anyone who doubted Ngannou was still a force in MMA, he proved them all wrong in his PFL debut. Furthermore, he showed that he is getting better in all facets of the game and re-staked his claim to be the baddest man on the planet.
What’s next: Ngannou won’t be back in action until 2025. Unless a dream fight with Jon Jones can be made, he will likely return to boxing and wait for PFL to find him a worthy challenge for his next MMA bout.
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What makes Francis Ngannou so popular?
Ngannou built an impressive fight sports resume by being, arguably, the hardest puncher in MMA history. While he isn’t an overly technical fighter or a skilled grappler, he has a sound fight style that does everything it needs to so he can unleash his superhuman power and put opponents to sleep.
Let’s look at some other fascinating facts about the man known as “The Predator.”
- Francis Ngannou record: 18-3 MMA (13 knockouts, 4 submissions), 0-2 Boxing
- Francis Ngannou last fight: TKO win over Renan Ferreira
- Francis Ngannou height: 6-foot-4
- Ngannou won the UFC heavyweight title in a destructive second-round KO of division GOAT Stipe Miocic at UFC 260 in March 2021.
- He has scored knockouts in 71% of his MMA fights.
- Ngannou earned highlight-reel knockouts over UFC greats like Miocic, dos Santos, Cain Velasquez, Alistair Overeem, and Andre Arlovski during his career.
- While he isn’t known for his grappling he actually has four submission wins on his resume.
- Ngannou is trained by elite MMA coach Eric Nicksick and Dewey Cooper at Las Vegas gym Xtreme Couture.
Francis Ngannou net worth
The measure of a fighter’s success is in dollars and cents stacked up from a career in professional fisticuffs. Following his big fight with Tyson Fury, Francis Ngannou’s net worth is believed to be around $15 million.
