Former UFC heavyweight champion, Francis Ngannou, is heading to the PFL.
The New York Times' Emmanuel Morgan was the first to report the news that Ngannou has signed with the promotion early Monday morning, with the company itself making the announcement official via a press release shortly thereafter. Ngannou became an unrestricted free agent in January, after relinquishing his title due to a contentious negotiating process with the UFC. His new contract with the PFL includes him taking on a leadership role on the PFL Global Advisory Board to "represent fighters interests" and he will also become the chairman of the new expansion league for the promotion, PFL Africa.
The 36-year-old combat sports star will compete in the "PPV Super Fight Division" which will be separate from the PFL's regular-season roster. Ngannou's promotional debut isn't expected to come until mid-2024, but his deal is an MMA-only agreement, leaving the door open for him to compete in boxing this year as he's planned.
“The past few months have been a very interesting time to understand and see the landscape but I’m very excited about this deal with the P.F.L. because they basically showed what I was expecting,” Ngannou said to The New York Times. “They didn’t just show up as a promotion that was looking for a fighter, but really came as a partner that sees more value in you as a person.”
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