Turki Alalshikh reveals options for Francis Ngannou’s next fight: “One in MMA and one in Boxing”

Saudi Arabian promoter Turki Alalshikh has opened up on what’s next for PFL champion Francis Ngannou.

‘The Predator’ is fresh off his return to the cage earlier this year in Saudi Arabia. In October, Francis Ngannou competed in his first MMA fight in nearly three years against Renan Ferreira. Due to injuries, as well as a stint in the boxing ring, the former UFC champion hadn’t competed since a January 2022 win over Ciryl Gane.

In the end, it took less than a round for Francis Ngannou to dispatch of ‘Problema’. Following the knockout win, the newly crowned PFL Superfights heavyweight champion revealed interest in a fast turnaround. Following his PFL debut, Ngannou discussed plans for a return in the spring. However, no potential opponents have been linked to his next bout.

Well, it seems that Turki Alalshikh has a few matchups in mind for ‘The Predator’. The Saudi Arabian promoter has close ties with Francis Ngannou, having worked to promote his boxing matches with Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. It’s also worth noting that the Saudi’s PIF has reportedly invested upwards of 100 million dollars into the PFL last year.

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(via PFL MMA)

Turki Alalshikh reveals what’s next for PFL heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou

Speaking in a recent interview with Ariel Helwani, Turki Alalshikh revealed that there are multiple options for the heavyweight’s next bout. While the promoter didn’t name them all, he did show interest in booking Francis Ngannou vs. Deontay Wilder. ‘The Bronze Bomber’ called out the PFL star last month, having not competed since his June knockout loss to Zhilei Zhang.

“Why don’t we see [Francis] Ngannou against [Deontay] Wilder?” Turki Alalshikh stated in the interview with Ariel Helwani. “I need to sit with Wilder. In [just] two minutes, I can gauge his condition and determine if he’s ready or not. I don’t want to waste time and money anymore, I need to check first if he’s still got it.”

He continued, “We have a lot of business together. I have two options on the table for Francis: One in MMA and one in boxing. I want to discuss them with him.” (h/t MMA News)

What do you make of these comments about Francis Ngannou? Who do you want to see the PFL champion face next?