Ariel Helwani sheds light on Francis Ngannou signing with PFL rumors 

Ariel Helwani recently straightened out rumors that Francis Ngannou is leaving the UFC to compete in the Professional Fighters League (PFL) after the Cameroonian-French fighter's family member was recently spotted sporting a PFL t-shirt during a New Year's gathering.

Ngannou shared photos of his family celebrating the New Year with keen-eyed fans spotting the PFL tee setting off rumor mills spinning fast.

Check out the post below:

However, on the latest installment of The MMA Hour show, the veteran MMA journalist laid those rumors to rest and claimed that he believes Francis Ngannou will continue his journey in the UFC at the end of the day. Helwani stated:

"No, Francis as of right this moment, isn't going to the PFL... You know, the story is still evolving. I still believe at the end of the day he will go back to the UFC... As of right this moment there's no deal for him to resign and there's no deal for him to fight on March 4."

Watch this clip below:

Francis Ngannou has been involved in a tussle with the UFC over his contract negotiations, and the reigning heavyweight champion has made it clear he wants a larger paycheck as well as the right to take up financially lucrative fights outside the UFC.

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Ariel Helwani gives his take on a potential Francis Ngannou vs. Jon Jones matchup

Jon Jones is expected to make his highly anticipated return to the octagon this year and owing to his incredible achievements inside the octagon, is touted to straightaway challenge Francis Ngannou for the heavyweight title. However, there have been some stumbling blocks to this potential super fight.

'The Predator' is currently recovering after undergoing knee surgery following his previous title defense against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 and is also involved in some tough contract negotiations with the organization. Nevertheless, it has been well established that Dana White and the UFC are very keen on 'Bones' facing Ngannou in March for UFC 285.

Check out the tweet below:

On the latest episode of The MMA Hour show, Ariel Helwani shared his opinion on Jones potentially facing Francis Ngannou for the heavyweight crown.

"I told you they wanted Jon Jones vs Francis. Here's the really interesting thing, if Jon Jones is truly ready to fight on March 4, you gotta get him a fight on March 4. The ideal scenario would be Francis... If Jon Jones is ready to return and Francis isn't, you have to go to the next guy... As of right now, no deal for Francis to resign or to fight on March 4."

Watch the full episode below:

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