Donn Davis: Francis Ngannou makes PFL debut ‘no later’ than September at Saudi Arabia PPV

Francis Ngannou will make his Skilled Fighters League debut in 2024, and it may occur as early because the summer season, in accordance with PFL co-founder Donn Davis.

Ngannou was not too long ago viciously knocked out by Anthony Joshua in his second professional boxing match earlier this month in Saudi Arabia. After taking lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury to the restrict in his boxing debut this previous October, the MMA way forward for the previous UFC heavyweight champion, who signed with PFL as a free agent in 2023, was unknown, particularly if he had a aggressive contest and even picked up a win over Joshua.

Davis was effectively conscious of that, and whereas watching Ngannou lose was robust, the end result now leads Davis to consider Ngannou’s return to MMA will occur throughout the subsequent six months.

“Folks requested me earlier than the battle [with Joshua] after I was interviewed, you recognize, ‘Who do I feel will win? Who would I wish to win?’ And I clearly root for Francis on a regular basis,” Davis stated on The MMA Hour. “He’s our associate and I actually do [root for him to win his boxing matches], however he wouldn’t have fought in MMA till the primary quarter of 2025 [if he won]. We talked to him about that, and I used to be very vocal about that, that he would have completely fought, however it could have been December on the earliest, extra possible February of 2025.

“So he was locked in, however he would have then gone forward [to] battle Fury, as all of us stated, had he received this battle. So it could have delayed [his PFL debut]. So I’m rooting for Francis on a regular basis, however now he’s coming again early. Will or not it’s as early as July? Perhaps. Will or not it’s as late as September? No later. However you’ll see Francis now in 2024, in PFL, towards ‘La Problemo’ [Renan Ferreira] in what I consider goes to be the battle I’m trying ahead to essentially the most within the heavyweight division of all of MMA.”

Ferreira earned the suitable to welcome Ngannou to the PFL cage following his blistering 21-second knockout of Ryan Bader in the principle occasion of the PFL vs. Bellator champs card in February — a efficiency that Davis described as “horrifying.”

Whereas particulars are nonetheless fluid with regard to when Ngannou’s first PFL bout will happen, Davis says the cardboard will characteristic different compelling matchups that will likely be well worth the value of admission to each ticket purchasers and people who order it at house.

“That will likely be a pay-per-view battle,” Davis defined. “That [event] may even have Cris Cyborg towards Larissa Pacheco because the co-main battle. That [card] may even have Cedric Doumbe towards any individual we’ll announce. In order that [fight card] goes to be huge simply due to Francis, however that battle [card] may have different very compelling matchups on it.

“That battle card will happen in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, however the particulars when it comes to the total card, the main points when it comes to the month and the timing, we received’t announce that for about two extra months.”