Francis Ngannou gets brutally honest about why he didn't attend PFL Africa: "I wasn't down for it"

Francis Ngannou recently clarified why he was absent from the PFL Africa events despite being a central figure in the league’s expansion into the continent. The former UFC heavyweight champion revealed that he was not comfortable with how the debut card was presented.

PFL Africa launched on July 19 in Cape Town, South Africa, with the opening round of its heavyweight and bantamweight tournaments. Ngannou, who signed with PFL in 2023 with a promise of developing African MMA, said the inaugural card appeared more like an undercard for international names rather than a stage to elevate African fighters.

Speaking about his issues with the event in a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Ngannou said:

“The PFL Africa was good, the business part of it is good... As far as my reaction, I don’t think it was something that he should have bring out there. At least if it was me I wouldn’t keep it out there because then we have to bring up context like why didn’t I come there... I wasn’t very okay with the first PFL Africa event seeming to be like an undercard. We worked a lot for the PFL Africa, but I hoped the debut would at least have its glory, its moment."

He added:

"That wasn’t my decision, and I wasn’t down for it, but I expressed my feeling to them. When you work on something for two years, you expect this glorious moment."

Check out Francis Ngannou's comments below (2:20 onwards):

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Francis Ngannou reacts to Dana White’s comments that the Cameroonian is "not a good guy"

Francis Ngannou dismissed Dana White’s past remarks about not being a good guy. 'The Predator' is not wasting time trying to figure the UFC CEO out. Ngannou stressed he has no interest in returning to the UFC and reminded that he is under contract with the PFL.

He admitted he still wants to fight but made clear that his future lies with PFL. Speaking in the aforementioned appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, he said:

"Listen, Dana is Dana, and I’m not wasting my time trying to figure out Dana or what he said. He does his show. That’s okay. And as I say, trying to make my life low-key... Why would I come back in? I’m in a contract with PFL.”