Francis Ngannou is once again the biggest free agent in mixed martial arts. On Friday, PFL announced that the promotion was parting ways with Ngannou just over three years after signing the former UFC heavyweight champion.
Ngannou parted ways with UFC in January 2023. As the reigning heavyweight champion, Ngannou and UFC had reached an impasse in negotiations over both pay and Ngannou’s desire to pursue big boxing matches.
Ngannou signed with PFL the following May, but it was October 2024 before Ngannou fought for the promotion. That night, Ngannou took less than one round to defeat Renan Ferreira to win the symbolic PFL super fight heavyweight title. That would ultimately prove to be Ngannou’s only PFL fight in the three years he was signed to the promotion.
During his time with PFL, Ngannou also served as chairman of PFL Africa, which he helped launch.
“The Professional Fighters League has made the decision to part ways with Francis Ngannou,” PFL said in a statement on Friday. “We have great respect for Francis as both an athlete and a person, and we wish him success in the next chapter of his combat sports career. The PFL remains focused on recruiting and signing the best athletes in the sport while continuing to deliver world-class competition for fans around the globe.”
Ngannou was able to pursue his desire for big boxing matches during his time with PFL. In October 2023, Ngannou nearly pulled off a shocking upset of then-WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, scoring a knockdown en route to a split decision loss. His second trip to the ring did not pay off as well, as Ngannou was knocked out by Anthony Joshua in their March 2024 clash.
In December, Ngannou hinted that he was interested in a fight with Jon Jones at UFC’s planned event at the White House, saying he was not necessarily confident that the bout would come together before saying, “but there’s a chance.”
At the time, Ngannou said his PFL contract was set to expire before the UFC White House event.
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