- Francis Ngannou is a +115 favorite to join the PFL.
- PFL speculations emerged after the former UFC heavyweight champion’s mom was spotted wearing a PFL t-shirt.
- Ngannou has also been long linked to a “hybrid” boxing bout against boxing heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.
With Francis Ngannou now a free agent after his release from the UFC, online sportsbook Bovada has listed down the possible landing spots for the former UFC heavyweight champion.
According to the betting site, Ngannou is a +115 betting favorite to join the Professional Fighters League. The Predator is then a +200 to fight in a professional boxing match next and a +400 to join UFC’s domestic rival Bellator. Ngannou is also a +450 favorite to join BKFC, a +600 to rejoin the UFC, and is at +1200 to head to Asia and fight under ONE Championship.
Ngannou Going to the PFL?
Is Francis Ngannou going to the PFL?#UFC #Ngannou #PFL pic.twitter.com/0Z8wVjULbr
— 🥋MMA Complete (@complete_mma) January 10, 2023
The PFL is on top of the Ngannou betting boards for a reason. Shortly before his release from the UFC, Ngannou was photographed seated at a table with his mother and interestingly, the Predator’s mom was wearing a white Professional Fighters League t-shirt. Of course, that sparked rumors that Ngannou’s next destination would be MMA’s million-dollar fight league.
However, Ngannou quickly quashed rumors about going to the PFL by telling reporters that it was just pure coincidence that his mother wore a PFL shirt and that he did not even notice that she was wearing that particular t-shirt during that instance. In an interview with Ariel Helwani at the MMA Hour, Ngannou said:
“You won’t believe me, I didn’t even notice that she had a PFL shirt on. I don’t even know where she had gotten that shirt from. I swear to God. I just found out on social media, that there was some sort of speculation and I’m like, damn, what’s going on? (laughs) I didn’t know at all. That was like random, completely random.”
The former UFC heavyweight champion, however, admitted that the PFL is on his shortlist and is definitely a legit option.
Ngannou Wants Boxing Match With Tyson Fury or Anthony Joshua
Boxing at second in the Ngannou odds boards also isn’t a surprise. Even before his release from the UFC, the Predator had always talked about testing his otherworldly punching power against the biggest punchers in professional boxing. Last December, Fury called out Ngannou after he recorded a 10th-round TKO win over Derek Chisora. He even brought the Predator inside the boxing ring with him during the post-fight interviews.
Ngannou has been linked to a crossover boxing match against WBC, Ring, and Lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury for quite some time now. In fact, BetOnline had opened the betting lines for a “hybrid fight” between the two combat sports superstars. According to BetOnline, Fury would be a massive -1500 favorite to beat Ngannou (+750) if they fought inside a boxing ring.
Fury is also interested in fighting Oleksandr Usyk, who holds the other boxing heavyweight world titles. However, it is believed that Fury is in talks with Ngannou for a potential super fight because not only would that be the “easier” fight for him but it also appears to be the more lucrative one. Meanwhile, Ngannou has also mentioned Anthony Joshua as a potential opponent.
The Predator to Bellator?
From Feb. 20, 2022 – Scott Coker Open To Bringing @Francis_Ngannou To @BellatorMMA https://t.co/V9vSRqvv5E
— Scott Coker (@ScottCoker) January 15, 2023
Viacom-owned Bellator MMA is third on the odds board with President Scott Coker openly stating that he is open to bringing the Predator to Bellator. Bellator currently has the greatest MMA heavyweight ever under its fold in Fedor Emelianemko. Fedor is scheduled to fight the promotion’s heavyweight champion Ryan Bader in his retirement fight at Bellator 290 next month. But will Fedor reconsider retirement with the possibility of fighting Ngannou?
Another possible option for Ngannou is the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. BKFC President David Feldman has declared that his company is very interested in signing Ngannou. According to Feldman, they are currently preparing an offer for Ngannou’s services. Whether that offer is good enough or if Ngannou has an interest in bare-knuckle boxing, remains to be seen.
At the bottom of the Ngannou odds board is ONE Championship. Although the Asia-based MMA promotion is a long shot, we’ve seen some of the biggest names in the sport appear in that promotion. Ben Askren, Demetrious Johnson, and Jon Lineker are among the prominent ex-UFC fighters who have held titles at ONE Championship. If Ngannou decides to go to the Far East, he could be the next to wear proudly the ONE Championship belt.
