Could Francis Ngannou’s PFL career be over after his next fight? Eric Nicksick sheds light on ‘The Predator’ returning to boxing next
Francis Ngannou will make his debut for the Professional Fighters' League (PFL) against Renan Ferreira for the lineal heavyweight MMA championship on Oct. 19. 'The Predator' last competed in MMA in 2022, having recently been involved in two high-profile boxing matches with Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.
His performance against Fury stunned the combat sports world as Ngannou dropped 'The Gypsy King' with a left hook and gave the former WBC champion a genuinely competitive clash.
His bout with Joshua did not follow the same vein, as the former UFC champion was dropped several times en route to a KO loss in Round 2. But given his success against Fury, there are discussions about the Cameroonian returning to the squared circle, potentially against Deontay Wilder.
Ahead of Ngannou's PFL debut, his head coach, Eric Nicksick, discussed a potential return to boxing following his clash with Ferreira. Nicksick was recently interviewed by MMAFightingonSBN, where he said this:
"I think he boxes again [next]. I think he probably alternates back and forth. I just know his passion for boxing right now, and obviously the paydays. So there are some fights that they can make for him. Especially if you can go off and get a nice win in the PFL, spring board him into something nice in boxing. I think he boxes again right away."
Watch Eric Nicksick discuss Francis Ngannou below (10:00):
With boxing's paydays far outweighing those found in MMA right now, Ngannou's head could be turned by the potential earnings of several fights scheduled by Turki Alashikh instead of remaining with the PFL.
Francis Ngannou opens up on his fighting future
Francis Ngannou will return to MMA against Renan Ferreira in a highly anticipated clash at the PFL: Battle of the Giants event on Oct. 19. With 'The Predator' having trained almost exclusively as a boxer since leaving MMA in 2022, it will be fascinating to see how he looks up his return to the four-ounce gloves.
Ahead of his clash with Ferreia, the 38-year-old was interviewed by MMA Junkie, where he said this:
"I have the appetite to go back into boxing, that's for sure. I still have a couple of fights in [MMA and boxing] left. I just turned 38, I would say my retirement [will happen] when I start getting around 41, 42. It could be 40, but this is an exceptional case."
Catch Francis Ngannou's comments below (7:55):