"We did not pressure Francis" - PFL CEO discusses giving Francis Ngannou "time" following tragic loss of son Kobe

In a recent conversation with Jose Youngs of MMA Fighting, PFL CEO Peter Murray has weighed in on former UFC heavyweight king Francis Ngannou's return to MMA. In April 2024, 'The Predator' took to social media to announce that his son, Kobe, had tragically passed away.

This led to a lot of doubts regarding Ngannou's return to MMA. During the aforementioned interview, the PFL CEO told Youngs that the promotion did not pressure Ngannou or rush his return to action. Murray added that Ngannou was given time to grieve his loss and it was 'The Predator' who approached them for a fight. He said:

"There was a tragedy in [Francis Ngannou's] life, with the loss of Kobe and you know, we gave Francis his time, as part of that process that he went through. He and I talked and he came to me and said he wants to do this, to direct his energy and to fight with greater purpose and you know, with Kobe as an inspiration. So, this was really Francis' decision. We did not pressure Francis. We gave him his time. He's moving and again, fighting with greater purpose."

Check out Peter Murray's comments below:

Ngannou was last seen in action in March 2024. He went up against Anthony Joshua in a boxing showdown which took place at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 'The Predator' suffered a brutal loss that night as he was knocked out in the second round.

When will Francis Ngannou make his PFL debut?

Francis Ngannou signed a lucrative contract with PFL in May 2023. Now, the 38-year-old is ready to make his promotional debut at the upcoming PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants event.

'The Predator' will take on Renan Ferreira in a heavyweight clash on Oct. 19. The fight will headline the card which is set to take place at The Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Several prominent names like Cris Cyborg, A.J. McKee, Johnny Eblen and Fabian Edwards, among others, will also compete on that card.