On Ariel Helwani- MMA Hour, PFL Chief Donn Davis Drops Hint About Francis Ngannou Potentially Taking on Deontay Wilder in a “Mixed Rules” Showdown.
The Professional Fighters League is now a major competitor to the UFC, as many fighters have left Dana White’s company, including Francis Ngannou. Ngannou, who left the UFC in early 2018, is eagerly awaiting his debut inside the PFL’s octagon. Donn Davis, PFL president, announced after Bellator’s acquisition that Ngannou’s first fight will take place in the PFL by 2024. There is a good possibility it will be against Deontay with special rules. Let’s get into the details.
PFL President claims Francis Ngannou might face Deontay Wilder in 2024
Recently, PFL acquired Bellator, and Donn Davis discussed this development on the Ariel Helwani chat show. Davis said that Francis Ngannou could face Deontay Wilder next year, after he recently fought Tyson Fury, and climbed into the top 10 WBC rankings.
As per him, “We (PFL) don’t know other than that he will fight in 2024. We don’t yet know if the fight will take place in the first quarter or last. But I still believe it will be a mixed-rules fight and Deontay is still the most likely opponent. This would be incredible. I think the second and third options are less compelling so we don’t want to force those options in order to get it in.“
Ngannou parted ways with the UFC in January after prolonged talks. After expressing his desire to compete in the boxing world, the Cameroonian showed an impressive performance when he faced Tyson Fury. It appears that he is now ready for a new bout, this time in the octagon, against a former Fury foe: Deontay wilder.
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It will indeed be interesting to see if the official confirmation comes through and the fight materializes. A mixed-rules match promises to be a great fight, with fans cheering for their favorite fighters.