"We're excited about making that fight happen" - PFL CEO Peter Murray claims Francis Ngannou will compete in MMA this year, names potential opponents
PFL CEO Peter Murray has shed light on former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou's return to the world of mixed martial arts.
Journalist John Morgan uploaded a clip to his Twitter account where Murray can be seen having a chat with MMA media. Murray spoke about various topics, like future plans for PFL and Kayla Harrison's departure from the promotion.
At one point, the PFL CEO spoke about 'The Predator' and shared that they expecting the Cameroonian to compete in the promotion in 2024 after getting done with his upcoming boxing clash against Anthony Joshua.
Renan Ferreira and Ryan Bader are scheduled to collide on Feb. 24 in the PFL vs. Bellator event. Murray shared that the winner of that scrap could be a potential opponent for Ngannou in his PFL debut.
The PFL CEO added that they were also looking at other fighters to be Ngannou's first opponent in the promotion:
"Yeah, we're excited about Francis returning to the cage. Francis, right now, is obviously focused on a major event... against 'AJ'. After that, we'll put the finishing touches on Francis, his opponent, the timing. So, we're excited about making that fight happen this year... Whether Renan or Bader, the winner taking the man on the mountain and we'll see. That's certainly an option. There are other options that we're weighing."
Check out Murray's comments about Francis Ngannou from the 16:55 mark below:
Ngannou is all set to make his second professional boxing appearance and will take on Joshua in a 12-round clash on March 8 in Saudi Arabia.
When did Francis Ngannou last compete in MMA?
Francis Ngannou's last MMA appearance took place two years ago. 'The Predator' took on former training partner Ciryl Gane in a heavyweight title fight in the main event of UFC 270. The event took place on Jan. 2022 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
The bout was a back-and-forth affair that lasted the entire 25-minute duration. Ngannou proved himself to be the better fighter that night as he edged out a unanimous decision victory and retained his heavyweight throne. The three judges scored the contest 48-47, 48-47 and 49-46 in favor of the Cameroonian.
The 37-year-old then parted ways with the multi-billion dollar promotion over contractual disputes and proceeded to sign with the PFL.