don davisPFL owners have admitted that Francis Ngannou could return to the Octagon sooner than expected.
Heavyweight fighter Francis Ngannou could return as early as July after taking a hiatus from MMA and making his long-awaited boxing debut. After falling short to Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, the Cameroonian has set his sights on 4oz gloves again.
PFL owner Don Davis announced on The MMA Hour that he aims to have Francis fight from July to September 2024. Davis added that Francis will be joined on the card by French kickboxing sensation Cedric Debume and mixed martial arts veteran Cris Cyborg.
“I always support Francis, but now he plans to come back early. Will it be as early as July, maybe as late as September? At the latest, we hope to see Francis in the PFL in 2024. 'Will become' vs. 'Low Problem' [Renan Ferreira] I believe this is the fight I'm most looking forward to in the heavyweight division of MMA. ”
Francis Ngannou's boxing journey
The announcement came as a surprise to many, as Ngannou was originally scheduled to step away from the Octagon until 2025 to focus on boxing, but his KO loss to Anthony Joshua earlier this month scuppered those plans. It was a shock.
Francis Ngannou made his boxing debut in October 2023 and shocked the world by dropping the “Gypsy King” in three rounds. Despite losing on the scorecards, he showed fans that he could go toe-to-toe with the best. This fight with Fury had many believing he might beat Anthony Joshua. Joshua had a different plan from the start, knocking Ngannou out cold with a straight right in the second round.
Ganus' return match against 6-foot-8 Brazilian Renan Ferreira was a highly anticipated match, with Ferreira showing his strength by dethroning then-PFL heavyweight champion Ryan Bader in the first round and winning by knockout. Ta.
The two fighters are keeping the MMA public on the edge of their seats in anticipation of a confirmed date.
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