Francis Ngannou's coach names the MMA promotion that can give 'The Predator' a challenge
Francis Ngannou is no longer a part of the UFC, and his time at the promotion recently came to an abrupt end after Dana White announced his departure at the UFC Vegas 67 press conference. The Cameroonian-French fighter was also stripped of his title.
Since his exit from the world's premier MMA promotion, many have pondered upon the next step in Ngannou's career. While 'The Predator' made no secret of his intention to pursue boxing and teased a possible showdown against heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, there are yet to be any solid developments on that front.
However, Xtreme Couture head coach Eric Nicksick recently claimed that ONE Championship could provide Francis Ngannou with the level of competition that the 36-year-old needs.
In an interview with The Schmo, Nicksick was asked about which MMA organizations have heavyweight divisions that could challenge Ngannou. The veteran coach replied:
"ONE FC have a lot of depth in their heavyweight division. I think the PFL does as well... Outside of the UFC, to me it's probably ONE. Bellator has some names, of course, and I think you could make some matchups there. I think talent wise, depth and talent, it's ONE in my opinion."
Watch the full video below:
Francis Ngannou receives offer from BKFC after release from UFC
Francis Ngannou did not have to wait long for potential suitors to come calling after the Cameroonian-French fighter was released from the UFC.
Soon after Dana White announced Ngannou's departure from the promotion, the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) reached out with an offer of their own to the former UFC heavyweight champion.
BKFC President David Feldman recently stated in a statement to MMA Junkie:
“We’re very interested in signing Francis Ngannou and would very much like to have him compete in the stacked BKFC heavyweight division, we’re tabling an offer of his services, and hopefully fans will see him in the BKFC squared circle in 2023.”
Read the tweet below:
BKFC boss David Feldman wants to see Francis Ngannou shed the gloves. 👊
Full story: bit.ly/3Zyc92l https://t.co/nvE0rxmPnC
Apart from BKFC, Bellator and PFL have also shown interest in signing Francis Ngannou. However, there is no official confirmation of Ngannou's intention to sign with a new promotion yet.
Ngannou last fought Ciryl Gane at UFC 270, where he defended and unified the heavyweight championship. However, at the UFC Vegas 67 post-fight presser, Dana White announced that 'The Predator' had been stripped of his title after his departure.
It was announced that Jon Jones would make his promotional comeback against Gane for the vacant heavyweight belt.
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