Former UFC champion explains why Francis Ngannou must be brought back to headline UFC 300
A former UFC champion has suggested that Francis Ngannou ought to be brought back to headline UFC 300. The landmark event is booked to take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, on April 13, 2024.
UFC CEO Dana White recently announced the card's first title matchup, as women's strawweight champion Zhang Weili will defend her belt against fellow Chinese MMA stalwart Yan Xiaonan. A few other notable matchups were also confirmed for the event.
The UFC 300 matchups announced thus far have elicited criticism in the MMA community for the purportedly underwhelming matchmaking. Presently, it's unclear as to which matchup will headline the event.
During a recent conversation with The Schmo, former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold discussed multiple topics, including UFC 300. The Schmo referenced former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou's widely-praised performance in his boxing debut against legendary pugilist Tyson Fury in October 2023.
He also addressed Ngannou's highly-anticipated fight against Anthony Joshua. In response, Rockhold lauded Ngannou for his success after leaving the UFC.
Additionally, The Schmo questioned that if Rockhold were playing matchmaker for the UFC, who'd he book to headline UFC 300. The former UFC star responded by addressing the oft-discussed MMA dream matchup between reigning UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones and Ngannou. The veteran fighter stated:
"UFC 300? It would be Francis [Ngannou] and Jon Jones."
The Schmo chimed in by alluding that Jones has been on an injury hiatus and is unlikely to return on time for the UFC 300 event in April 2024. The 39-year-old Rockhold replied by saying:
"Yeah, I mean, I would f**king bring back Francis. He can fight anybody, really. I mean, if that's the number-one man in the game, that's the real heavyweight. If you're gonna do 300, you want the baddest man on the f**king planet, and that's Francis Ngannou. So, nothing else matters."
Check out Rockhold's comments below (7:20):
PFL CEO comments on ex-UFC mainstay Francis Ngannou's long-awaited promotional debut
Following a long-running negotiation dispute with the UFC, Francis Ngannou ultimately chose not to re-sign with them. 'The Predator' was stripped of his UFC heavyweight title and released from the organization in January 2023.
The Cameroon-born fighter eventually signed with the PFL, where he'll likely debut this year (2024). The consensus is that he's unlikely to re-sign with the UFC anytime soon and won't compete at UFC 300.
During a recent interview with John Morgan, PFL CEO Peter Murray was asked about Francis Ngannou's meteoric rise in boxing. Morgan implied that should Ngannou beat star pugilist Anthony Joshua in their boxing bout in March 2024, he'd probably continue receiving lucrative offers in that sport.
When asked if the PFL was concerned that it'd dent their plans for Ngannou to compete in MMA bouts for their organization, Murray answered by asserting:
"No, Francis is committed to the PFL. He's committed to continuing competing in MMA, so we don't expect that."
Watch Murray's assessment below (06:31):