The one big development regarding his career in the PFL was the recent announcement that PFL Africa will launch in the second quarter of 2025, with the former UFC heavyweight champion acting as the Chairman.
This was a crucial aspect in his decision to sign with the promotion following his UFC departure but Randy Couture believes it may have been even more significant regarding his future in the PFL.
Randy Couture Says Francis Ngannou’s PFL Africa Role Has Been Crucial To His Continued Involvement
In a recent interview with InsideFighting, PFL commentator Randy Couture said that the confirmation of PFL Africa could have helped to keep Ngannou with the promotion.
The former UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight champion stated that he believes that Ngannou may have felt at odds with the promotion after the PFL vs Bellator Champions event earlier this year.
When Renan Ferreira stopped Ryan Bader in the main event, the PFL looked to set up the Brazilian as their big-money signing’s debut opponent in the SmartCage but Ngannou didn’t seem overly enthused by the idea.
Couture says that it can’t be underestimated how much this role as Chairman of PFL Africa means to Ngannou because of his want to give back to others who come from similar backgrounds.
“I think there’s been a little blip after the boxing and Fury and then losing in the next one and they were pushing him to say, ‘Yes I want to take on Renan Ferreira,’ the winner of this champions vs champions and Francis was there at cage side and I think that rubbed Francis the wrong way a little bit.
“But, at the end of the day, this opportunity to be the Chairman for PFL Africa is what kept him there [at PFL] and I think it means a lot to him. As much as him continuing to develop his legacy and establish himself as one of the best heavyweight mixed martial artists in the world and certainly an amazing boxer at this stage of things too, I think this chairmanship in Africa means a lot to him and he wants to do something special for his countrymen.”
It’s weird that they all over-estimate their own value, especially with the timing of it all.
Like guys have zero concept of how fame and popularity work and think because they were big popular stars in the world of MMA years ago that when they’re 40yrs old and years out of their physical and popularity primes they will somehow rake it in by starting to box.
Literally one MMA guy was successful in boxing, Conman McFelon. As much as I dislike that trash human, he was at the peak of his popularity when he boxed (which was a damn high peak) and he boxed an all time great.
Francis was the second success because he lucked out somehow getting a match with Fury as a reigning champion.
3rd would be people like Nate and Woodley who only had any success because of Jake Paul, which is not a good look on their popularity.
So it’s funny that you could argue 3 guys had some level of success but only one was on their own merit carrying near-equal weight into the success of the boxing match.
Maybe all these guys are surrounded by a bunch of yes men that want a piece of that small pie and refuse to tell the truth for fear of being cut out of the circle.
Because Francis has always been a drama queen. I’ve been saying this forever, but everyone was sweet on him for leaving the UFC. Dude is literally crying about being afforded the opportunity to fight the world champion…… I’m sure the UFC is glad to be rid of that headache,