Francis Ngannou PFL deal: Could Francis Ngannou face free-agent HWs like Fedor Emelianenko in future? PFL CEO comments

Francis Ngannou's competition in the PFL heavyweight division may be about to go up a level, according to the League CEO Peter Murray.

Ngannou dropped the bombshell last month that he had ended his free agency after signing with the PFL.

The major announcement not only includes signing 'The Predator' on a multi-fight contract, but the Cameroonian star is also now a major player in the future of the promotion. The contract has guaranteed Ngannou seven-figure sums for his fights, a fixed sum for his opponents and also sees the 36-year-old as an equity holder in the organization as well as the new chairman of PFL Africa.

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Whilst MMA fans are understandably intrigued by the move, there has been a question about the quality of fighters in the PFL's heavyweight division for Francis Ngannou to face.

In a recent interview with Forbes, PFL CEO Peter Murray addressed those concerns. He explained that it's very likely Ngannou's opponent isn't yet signed with the promotion. Murray said:

“That’s quite possible and there are free agents who will be coming into the mix this year, and we’re excited about that."

Although Peter Murray didn't mention names, free-agents such as Fedor Emelianenko, Fabricio Werdum and Alistair Overeem could well be on their radar.

Francis Ngannou's manager states Jon Jones is the 'interim baddest man'

Francis Ngannou versus Jon Jones looks set to be one of the greatest fights never to have happened in the UFC.

The dream bout was due to settle not only the UFC's heavyweight champion, but also who holds the rights to the nickname the "baddest man on the planet."

Weighing in on that fact was Marquel Martin, the manager of the Cameroonian fighter. Martin appeared on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, where he claimed there was no debate as to who the better fighter was as Jones is only temporarly holding that status. The MMA manager explained:

"I think that's something that has a narrative and a story behind it that's bigger than just the fight game, and at the same time, we want to see who the baddest man on the planet is. I know Dana [White] just said that [about Jon Jones] - I guess Jon Jones is the GOAT, don't get me wrong, but baddest man on the planet? No, can't be. Maybe the interim baddest man on the planet or something. I think Francis has that."

Catch the interview here (29:30):

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Will began his tenure at Sportskeeda as an MMA writer over 2 years ago and has penned over 1800 pieces so far, including 35+ exclusives, which have garnered close to 5 million views.

Will graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Media and Communications from Bournemouth University, where he was also a valued member of their communications team. His degree heavily focused on social media and writing, which eventually led him toward sports writing.

He turned into an MMA fan after witnessing Conor McGregor’s 13-second TKO win over Jose Aldo at UFC 194 in 2015. The Irishman sits at the top of his list of top-five MMA fighters of all time, which also includes world champions like Demetrious Johnson, Michael Bisping, Max Holloway, and Georges St-Pierre.

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Edited by Tejas Rathi