Francis Ngannou shares snaps in PFL gear
This week has seen the MMA world stunned by the news that former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou has officially signed with rival promotion PFL.
According to reports, the contract inked by ‘The Predator’ is a bumper one. Not only is he set to earn more than seven figures per fight in his own right, but his opponent will also be offered a minimum of two million dollars.
More importantly, Ngannou has been offered “equity and leadership” in the promotion, as he will act as the chairman of the new PFL Africa division.
Yesterday saw ‘The Predator’ label his decision to sign with the PFL as the “best business decision (he’s) ever made”.
To follow this, today has seen Ngannou take to his Instagram page, posting photos of himself sporting brand-new PFL gear, including shorts and gloves. The caption to these photos simply states “New fits”.
It’s unlikely that Ngannou’s PFL debut will come until 2024, as reports suggest he intends to move into boxing first.
Recently, he stated that he’d like to take a “tune-up” bout before facing either Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder or Anthony Joshua.
Francis Ngannou has made it clear that he now intends to have a tune-up fight in boxing before a potential heavyweight showdown with Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder or Anthony Joshua. [@DAZNMMA Show]
Francis Ngannou vs. Jon Jones: what did ‘The Predator’ say about missing out on the fight?
While many fans have praised Francis Ngannou for taking his multi-million dollar deal with the PFL, many have been left disappointed. This is largely because ‘The Predator’ will no longer be able to fight Jon Jones, who claimed the UFC heavyweight title earlier this year in his absence.
The two men have gone back-and-forth on social media in recent days, with Jones in particular throwing plenty of barbs towards his rival.
My man wins one Super Bowl, transferred to a top arena football league, and then claims to be better than Brady. That’s what I’m hearing right now.
Interestingly, though, in an interview on YouTube’s DC & RC show, Francis Ngannou actually heaped praise on ‘Bones’, labelling him a ‘GOAT’ and expressing regret at not being able to fight him.
“I will always have a regret of not fighting Jon Jones. I think you know, being in the sport, being in this position, what you want to do is to test yourself against somebody like Jon Jones, who stands as a GOAT of the sport.”
Watch Ngannou's interview below.