Former UFC heavyweight champion and current PFL title holder Francis Ngannow has made clear that he plans to return to the competition. The Cameroon native is open to both MMA and boxing, and is about to schedule the match for Francisunganou’s next fight in late 2025 or early 2026.
When will Francis Ngannow’s next battle?
Speaking recently in an interview with Ariel Herwani, Nganou emphasized that Francis Nganou’s next fight was that he continues to fight and motivates the fight.
Francis Ngannou vacated the UFC heavyweight title when his contract expired in January 2023. He quickly signed with the professional Fighters League. His first boxing match was against Tyson Fury in October 2023, where he dropped the WBC champion, but lost the decision to split. In March 2024, Ngannou faced Anthony Joshua and was knocked out in the second round. Despite the loss, Ngannou did not keep his intention to continue fighting in both areas.
On October 19, 2024, Ngannou returned to MMA in the PFL and faced Renan Ferreira in Riyadh. He dedicated his victory to his late son Kobe, who died in April 2024, winning at the first round stop. His performance in that match marked the first appearance of mixed martial arts since January 2022. The position, repeated by his head coach Eric Nicksick, said Ngannou has never stopped training in any aspect of MMA, including wrestling and grappling.
Ngannou’s PFL agreement still includes at least one MMA fight, and this promotion shows his willingness to co-employ the event if it matches the profits of the business.
Alongside MMA, Ngannou is pursuing a boxing match against Deontay Wilder, aiming to secure a match by the end of the year. The 39-year-old Wilder last fought in June 2025, with both fighters expressing mutual interest in crossover matches. Ngannou described the Wilder fight as an entertainment project that favored either boxing or MMA, and although no formal agreement has been announced, it confirmed the ongoing debate.
Ngannou’s schedule remains flexible. He has the freedom to mix boxing and MMA under a PFL deal. For now, he continues his training in Las Vegas, splitting the time between boxing pads, wrestling mats and MMA sparring sessions, ensuring he maintains the peak of discipline this year or early 2026.