"Nobody is talking about it" - UFC legend discusses the fight he thinks Francis Ngannou should have and explains why it probably won't happen
UFC legend Chael Sonnen believes the next fight for Francis Ngannou should be Ryan Bader, but also admitted that he doesn't expect it to happen.
Ngannou made headlines earlier this year when he opted not to sign a new deal with the UFC in order to explore free agency. He later signed a historic deal with the Professional Fighters League (PFL), committing him to a number of fights as well as the free reign to step into the world of boxing.
'The Predator' then made his debut in the squared circle back in October, when he faced off against Tyson Fury and put in a valiant performance.
Now with 2024 on the horizon, Francis Ngannou is expected to make his MMA debut for the PFL next year.
The MMA promotion recently completed a historic takeover of Bellator, which includes offering the roster new contracts. A fighter included on that list is Ryan Bader, the current Bellator heavyweight champion.
Chael Sonnen, who was discussing Ngannou's future on The MMA Hour, stated that he believes a clash against Bader makes sense. 'The Bad Guy' admitted, however, that he doesn't expected it to happen. He said:
"The most obvious fight is Francis vs. Bader. When I say obvious, I'm talking about all the things from the 'who are we?' stand point from the PFL. It would seem as though that fight is so incredibly unlikely that even Bader isn't talking about it. Nobody's talking about it because we all know it's not going to happen...I think that's an obvious one."
Catch Sonnen's comments here (40:50):
Kamaru Usman gives his take on Francis Ngannou vs. Tyson Fury scorecards
Kamaru Usman has offered his take on the controversial scorecards between Francis Ngannou and Tyson Fury.
Ngannou faced Fury in his boxing debut back in October. Although given a slim chance of victory by most, 'The Predator' shocked the world by going toe-to-toe with 'The Gypsy King' across the 10 rounds, even dropping him in the third.
Despite many feeling as though Ngannou had pulled off the upset, Fury was given the nod via a contentious split decision. Speaking about the fight on a recent episode of the PBD Podcast, Usman, who walked Francis Ngannou to the ring, offered his take on the decision:
"I have to be honest with everything. When it comes to the way that boxing is scored now, then of course they're going to give it to Fury...If you're going to say, this was a fight, who won this fight? There's no doubt that Francis Ngannou won that fight."
Catch Usman's comments here (0:08):