MVP x PFL should aim for Francis Ngannou vs. Rico Verhoeven
There's no fight better than Francis Ngannou vs. Rico Verhoeven to headline the first event of the MVP x PFL merger, and it should be booked as soon as possible.
Francis Ngannou vs. Rico Verhoeven is one of the biggest potential fights that can happen outside the UFC. In fact, it's a fight that MVP x PFL should strongly consider booking, before either man retires.
Francis Ngannou vs. Rico Verhoeven should be next
The MVP x PFL merger happened with the promise to shake up the MMA world and challenge the UFC's dominance. While the PFL has a decent roster of fighters, especially after its previous acquisition of Bellator, most of their fighters don't inspire confidence in the casual fan's mind whenever they claim to be on the UFC's level. This is worsened by the abysmal performance of most PFL/Bellator fighters who sign with the UFC. That, however, does not mean the MVP x PFL merger is hopeless. One half of the solution is Francis Ngannou, who is occasionally regarded as the lineal MMA heavyweight champion, having never lost the UFC belt inside the octagon before parting ways with the promotion.
He is also the last person not named Jon Jones to beat current UFC interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane, who he outwrestled and outworked via unanimous decision at UFC 270. He fought once under the PFL banner, TKO'ing Renan Ferreira in round one to win the PFL Super Fights heavyweight title, before more recently fighting at MVP MMA: Rousey vs. Carano, where he knocked out Philipe Lins in round one. Between him and Rico Verhoeven, he'll be the easier fighter to sign given his recent business and familiarity with both the PFL and MVP. Meanwhile, Verhoeven, who is unlikely to be given a sought-after rematch with legendary heavyweight boxer Oleksandr Usyk, stands to earn the most with MVP x PFL.
He was once targeted for a UFC fight with Derrick Lewis, but turned the offer down after finding the purse to be too low. A return to kickboxing is unlikely, and a boxing match against a high-profile fighter is similarly unlikely, as he is a high-risk, low-reward opponent. An alternative would be pocketing a massive payday in MMA by fighting Ngannou in a bout that could be easily billed as a clash between the two most dangerous men in the world. After all, with how often Jake Paul criticizes the UFC's pay structure, it would be a miscalculation if MVP x PFL doesn't offer Verhoeven the big bucks. Furthermore, conversations about how Ngannou and Verhoeven were supposedly robbed of potential wins in their respective boxing matches, as many felt that Ngannou had done enough to beat Tyson Fury, while the combat sports world was up in arms over the refereeing in Verhoeven's bout with Usyk, could dominate the buildup.
It could even be billed as Ngannou's retirement fight, as he turns 40 next month and has been relatively inactive over the years. Unless Jones can persuade the UFC to release him from his contract, the only bout left for Ngannou is one with Verhoeven.
