Francis Ngannou Returns to MMA

Since exiting the UFC as the undisputed heavyweight champion, Francis Ngannou ventured into boxing last year. Partnering with the PFL in Saudi Arabia he lost against Tyson Fury, but it was a split decision loss. That gave him enough motivation to continue testing his power in the boxing ring. He would face Anthony Joshua next and fall short, losing to Joshua by a second-round KO.

Ngannou’s deal with the PFL is for MMA matches and super-fights. Had he been successful in boxing the chances of seeing that play out might not have happened but here we are. All this time the PFL’s 2023 Heavyweight Champion, Renan Ferreira has been patiently waiting for his super fight against the UFC knockout machine since he beat Bellator Heavyweight Champion, Ryan Bader at their first Super Fights event. The PFL’s press release stated they would be fighting for the “PFL Super Fights Championship Belt.”

The pay-per-view event will also feature Cris “Cyborg” Justino’s first bout under the PFL banner. She will face PFL’s 2023 Featherweight Champion Larissa Pacheco in a bout that has been teased since the PFL acquired Bellator MMA last year. Both Cyborg and Pacheco have been vocal about being essentially sidelined since the the acquisition happened so seeing an official announcement gives them, and us something to look forward to.