Cameroonian fighter Francis Ngannou made a historic comeback last Saturday, defeating Rena Fereira to win the PFL heavyweight championship title.
The fight was Ngannou’s first since his boxing stint, and he delivered a groundbreaking performance. “The Predator” is back on the MMA scene and is currently ranked No. 2 after his big debut. The fighter’s win impressed many fighters, like UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones, who took to X to congratulate Ngannou after his PFL win. “What an amazing job Francis did tonight, displayed a complete MMA game. Great kicks, great takedowns. It feels good to see him shine. Wow congratulations Champ, I see you,”
The compliment took Francis by surprise, and he reacted to it during an interview with Ariel Helwani. “Yeah, I saw that. I saw his tweet. Whatever he means, I think it’s class. He said it in a very nice way. I see him too, and I’ll be watching him on November 16th.”
Although both fighters have nothing but respect for each other, their recent comments and Ngannou’s return have re-ignited rumours of a possible clash. PFL chairman Donna Davis also sees potential in this matchup but feels the bout is unlikely to happen.
“I’m a pretty optimistic guy,” Davis told MMA Fighting during a Town Hall on Wednesday. “I’m a realist from a business standpoint, but I’m always optimistic. Even Jon Jones’s Tweets struck me as very interesting. … That’s a lot different than the last three years. That’s a lot different than the previous three years between those two guys.
“So for me, I’m an optimistic, can-do guy. To me, it hasn’t happened in the past but the future is the future.”
The two fighters have teased fans about a possible fight over the years, but the matchup never happened. Ngannou left the UFC promotion to sign with PFL before transitioning to boxing, while Jones defeated Ciryl Gane. However, now is the perfect opportunity for a match-up despite both fighters being in two different promotions. Although UFC CEO Dana White is opposed to this matchup, Davis believes the fight has a possibility of coming to fruition as both fighters are two of the toughest in the heavyweight division.
“If I was a betting person, if you gave me even odds, no,” Davis said. “Even odds are, is it likely? Is that a good bet? No. But if you gave me four to one? I would take those odds. I would take that bet. So do I think it’s possible? Yes. Likely? No.
“And do I think, since it’s the biggest fight that could ever be made in MMA in perhaps the last or next decade, that’s why I think it’s possible. Because it’s so big and it’s so thrilling. And sometimes people say, ‘What the eff. We’re going to find a way to do it. Let’s find a way to do it.’ So that’s why I think it’s possible.”
Although White has still not commented on the match, Davis believes one of the biggest motivations is money. The chairman of the General Entertainment Authority of Saudi Arabia, Turki Alalshikh, has been known for promoting combat sports over the years, and Davis believes the chairman might invest in this matchup, too.
“I have a ton of respect for Dana,” Davis said. “He built the entire industry. Does he want to be part of the biggest fight in 10 years, that he made happen? Turki is the biggest man in combat sports. Could he make the biggest fight happen? Sure. I just think there’s a lot of cool stuff that could happen here. I’m the least important guy here. Turki and Dana are the most important guys here. I’m just the guy that said yes.”
