Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou was put to sleep by Anthony Joshua during a boxing pay-per-view (PPV) spectacle in Riyadh earlier this month, but his loss to Tyson Fury late last year It was a lopsided loss that bears no resemblance to his breakthrough performance.
With the loss to “AJ,” “The Predator” was expected to be sent to PFL MMA, where heavyweight giant Renan Ferreira awaits. However, Ngannou seems to be hoping that the wealth accumulated after the release of “The Gypsy King” will lead to another high-profile boxing match.
That leaves Ngannou, 37, with options.
“At this point, I don't know exactly what kind of fight I'm looking for next,” Ngannou said during an Instagram Live. “I know I'll take some time to rest, focus on myself, and get back to training when I'm ready. So we can talk about the fight. For now, we're just living life. Just keep living. Because always remember, it doesn't matter what your profession is, there's always life and we all have life to go on.”
There's no doubt Ngannou will need additional time off due to his concussion.
“Boxing is not over, MMA is not over,” Ngannou continued. “Basically now I have an opponent in the PFL called Renan Ferreira. That will be my future opponent in the PFL, but again, I basically have a lot of fights in the future. . You can still combine them. [sports], I will still return to activities. I'm not quitting boxing because MMA is more comfortable. I will continue to do both. ”
The result could be a PFL logjam, as Ferreira has chosen to “sit and wait”.
“It's part of what we do,” Ngannou said. “We accept the challenge. Sometimes things work out, sometimes things don't work out. But we're working on it. We're not done yet, we're not done at all. We're just getting started. What we'll miss this year The only thing is time and I think we still have plenty of time. Take some time for yourself, relax, spend time with your family and friends and then get ready and go back. I’m going to come.”
Ngannou left the UFC and signed with the PFL in early 2023, but has not seen a fight in the cage since dropping a decision to Cyril Gane in January 2022. “The Predator” was expected to debut his “smart cage” in 2024. But Ngannou doesn't seem ready to commit just yet.
