Francis Ngannou is stepping away from boxing after a shocking knockout defeat by Anthony Joshua in a fierce two-round bout.
After his recent defeat by Anthony Joshua in a heavyweight boxing match that ended in a knockout within two rounds, Francis Ngannou is pivoting back to mixed martial arts (MMA), with his upcoming fight already on the books.
Ngannou is scheduled to square off against Renan Ferreira in the Professional Fighters League (PFL), following his triumph over Ryan Bader.
Ngannou, despite pocketing a record $20 million for the bout, is bound by a contractual obligation to compete in the PFL, marking a continuation of his venture across different combat sports disciplines.
Ferreira, who hails from Bellator, secured his bout with Ngannou by emerging victorious in a high-profile contest against Bader in Saudi Arabia, part of a special event that pitted champions from different organizations against each other, organized under the auspices of Sports Chairman Turki Alalskikh.
The match-up with Ferreira promises to be challenging for Ngannou, who faces a formidable opponent in Ferreira, fresh from a swift 20-second knockout victory over Bader—a win that also landed Ferreira a substantial $2 million purse, courtesy of the bout’s arrangement involving Ngannou.
For the upcoming clash between Ngannou and Ferreira, Ngannou had previously negotiated with PFL executives to ensure certain guarantees for his opponents in future matches.
This unusual stipulation stems from Ngannou’s experiences with financial negotiations in his UFC tenure, as he sought to secure better compensation for himself and his adversaries in the ring.
Speaking about the fight with CBS Sports, Ferreira said: “I feel like money in a situation like this is a consequence of your work. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the body of work I put together. But it does have to be said the amount of respect I have for Francis for lobbying for his opponent. To make sure that his opponent is taken care of. It’s immense.”
“It just shows how great of a champion he is and the character and the man behind the athlete. It’s something I commend and applaud him for.”
