It’s still unknown what the future looks like for Francis Ngannou in terms of MMA. Some pundits, such as Brendan Schaub, doubt there’s even a future at all.
Schaub, a former UFC heavyweight contender, doesn’t think Ngannou is ever going to debut for the PFL given the success he’s found securing marquee heavyweight names to fight him for big money in boxing.
Ngannou made his boxing debut against WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury last October, a fight he lost in a highly debated split decision. And now, the former UFC heavyweight champion has inked a deal to fight British superstar Anthony Joshua on March 8.
For Schaub, this signals the end of Ngannou in MMA.
“The PFL thing never made sense to me, and I think PFL is his side chick,” Schaub said on his YouTube channel. “I think it’s a Plan B. With them, it was like, because remember, it was really up in the air because he was hoping that it was going to work out, and Fury was going back and forth so he didn’t know, and it dragged out. But he got the Fury fight, and I think PFL is just the Plan B if the Fury and Joshua stuff didn’t work out. It’s working out, so he’s like, ‘(Sorry).’
Ngannou, 37, is unsure if 2024 will be the year he debuts for PFL, putting him at 38 for a potential debut in 2025. Schaub cites Ngannou’s age as another reason why he sees his MMA return unlikely, apart from getting better opportunities in boxing.
“Francis is not that young, either,” Schaub said. “It’s not like he’s some young whipper snapper, and he can just be like, ‘Let me do this, and I’m going to go and fight for the title over here. I don’t think he cares.
“Like, what’s a PFL belt do for Francis’ legacy? Who is he going to beat? Name somebody that’s important to beat. There’s no Ciryl Ganes over there, no Ton Apinalls, no Jon Jones. There’s none of that.”
On top of Ngannou’s age and the big money fights in boxing, Schaub also doesn’t think PFL has much to offer him in terms of competition.
“UFC has all the big boys locked down contractually,” Schaub explained. “I just think PFL was a side piece in this equation, and it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense for him to fight Fury, fight Joshua and probably make more money, and then the Wilder fight is always there.
“Then what? You’re going to do work at your age and try to take out these guys that nobody has heard of in PFL and nobody is watching? OK.”