Was Francis Ngannou a big bust for the PFL? Examining his short-lived tenure

When Francis Ngannou signed with the PFL back in 2023, much was made about the monumental nature of the deal he had signed. He was expected to be the new face of the promotion after the unfortunate end to his UFC run, but his PFL tenure was shorter than most could have predicted. In fact, it may have even been a disastrous business move on the PFL's part.

The Francis Ngannou problem

In early 2022, Francis Ngannou defeated Ciryl Gane via unanimous decision at UFC 270, successfully defending his UFC heavyweight title. It wasn't the most entertaining bout, especially with Ngannou having fought essentially one-legged. However, it's a win that has aged well, as Gane has only ever lost to him and arguably the MMA GOAT in Jon Jones. Unfortunately, a long and dominant championship reign over the heavyweight division wasn't on the cards for Ngannou, who left the UFC after he was unable to agree on terms with the promotion for a new contract. The alleged terms had less to do with money and more to do with Ngannou's request for health insurance, roster-wide sponsorships, and a fighter advocate.

So, upon becoming a free agent, Ngannou was courted by several promotions, including ONE Championship. In the end, he chose to sign with the PFL on a two-fight deal, and when news first broke of what his contract entailed, the MMA world exploded, hailing it as a historic game-changer. Not only was Ngannou free to compete in boxing, which had been his professional dream since he started fighting, but he was reportedly entitled to a $10 million payday for each fight, while his opponents were entitled to a $2 million base pay. He was also added to the PFL's global advisory board, was given equity in the company, and made chairman of PFL Africa. But to the misfortune of the PFL, Ngannou wasn't even a flash in the pan. He didn't benefit the promotion at all.

First, despite signing with them in 2023, he decided to box before fighting for them, facing Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua in boxing matches, losing via split-decision and second-round knockout respectively. Then, in late 2024, after struggling with the tragic death of his son, he returned to MMA to face Renan Ferreira at PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants. They fought for the PFL Super Fights heavyweight title, which Ngannou won via first-round knockout. It was his first fight in the promotion, but also his last. And despite the event being billed as both his first PFL fight and his return to MMA after a two-year absence, the entire event reportedly only generated around 10,000 pay-per-view buys.

To make matters worse, his role as chairman of PFL Africa went nowhere, as he only turned up to one of the first three PFL Africa cards. It was a bad start to his relationship with the PFL, yet, in an astonishing twist, it was also its end, as he never fought for the promotion again, leaving after just one fight on a two-fight contract. The reality of the situation is that the PFL likely realized they had overpaid for a fighter who was not as big a star as they had hoped, and was also hemorrhaging money. He didn't help elevate the promotion, and is now a free agent, having recently fought at MVP MMA: Rousey vs. Carano on a one-fight deal, knocking out Philipe Lins in round one.

While the potential for a fight with Rico Verhoeven is there, there aren't too many paths remaining for him. The UFC wants nothing to do with him, and the PFL, despite its recent merger with MVP, will be hesitant to do business with him again outside of, perhaps, a one-fight deal.