After signing with the PFL in May of 2023, there is still no news regarding when Francis Ngannou will be making his debut in the SmartCage.
Several factors have led to this postponement like the success he had against Tyson Fury in boxing and the tragic loss of his son earlier this year.
The one big development regarding his career in the PFL was the recent announcement that PFL Africa will launch in the second quarter of 2025, with the former UFC heavyweight champion acting as the Chairman.
This was a crucial aspect in his decision to sign with the promotion following his UFC departure but Randy Couture believes it may have been even more significant regarding his future in the PFL.
Randy Couture Says Francis Ngannou’s PFL Africa Role Has Been Crucial To His Continued Involvement
In a recent interview with InsideFighting, PFL commentator Randy Couture said that the confirmation of PFL Africa could have helped to keep Ngannou with the promotion.
The former UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight champion stated that he believes that Ngannou may have felt at odds with the promotion after the PFL vs Bellator Champions event earlier this year.
When Renan Ferreira stopped Ryan Bader in the main event, the PFL looked to set up the Brazilian as their big-money signing’s debut opponent in the SmartCage but Ngannou didn’t seem overly enthused by the idea.
Couture says that it can’t be underestimated how much this role as Chairman of PFL Africa means to Ngannou because of his want to give back to others who come from similar backgrounds.
“I think there’s been a little blip after the boxing and Fury and then losing in the next one and they were pushing him to say, ‘Yes I want to take on Renan Ferreira,’ the winner of this champions vs champions and Francis was there at cage side and I think that rubbed Francis the wrong way a little bit.
“But, at the end of the day, this opportunity to be the Chairman for PFL Africa is what kept him there [at PFL] and I think it means a lot to him. As much as him continuing to develop his legacy and establish himself as one of the best heavyweight mixed martial artists in the world and certainly an amazing boxer at this stage of things too, I think this chairmanship in Africa means a lot to him and he wants to do something special for his countrymen.”
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