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A possible tectonic shift is about to happen in the MMA world as former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou looks to find a new organization to fight in. The Cameroonian-French knockout king was stripped of his UFC title earlier this year after contract negotiations with the promotion fell through.
Right away, speculation began of which MMA promotion would snag the heralded 'Baddest Man on the Planet' after he's entered the free agency pool. At the moment, however, 'The Predator' is dead-set on launching a boxing career and is in serious talks about facing either Deontay Wilder or Tyson Fury soon.
However, this doesn't mean that Ngannou will be leaving MMA altogether. In a lengthy interview with ESPN's Brett Okamoto, 'The Predator' spoke about his plans for his MMA career after he's sorted out his boxing stint:
"“There’s no rush, but I’m having serious conversations with PFL and also with ONE. But there’s no rush. My first fight has to be in boxing, so that’s where my focus is at right now.”
Watch the interview section here:
The UFC has since established a new heavyweight championship belt in Ngannou's absence, which ultimately went to MMA all-time great Jon Jones. If Ngannou does go to either the PFL or ONE Championship and kills the division as he did in the UFC, this will shift the perception of MMA fans. The fact that the UFC has 'The Baddest Man on the Planet' will be questionable as Francis Ngannou was the king who never lost his crown.
Francis Ngannou's coach believes ONE Championship can provide competition 'The Predator' needs
Since Francis Ngannou's exit from the UFC, many have speculated on the next organization to house the powerful Cameroonian. According to Ngannou's head coach Eric Nicksick, ONE Championship's deep talent pool can provide him with the level of competition that he needs.
In an interview with The Schmo, Nicksick was asked which organization Francis Ngannou should sign with. The veteran cornerman replied:
"ONE FC have a lot of depth in their heavyweight division. I think the PFL does as well... Outside of the UFC, to me it's probably ONE. Bellator has some names, of course, and I think you could make some matchups there. I think talent wise, depth and talent, it's ONE in my opinion."
Watch the full video below:
Looking at ONE's heavyweight division, Nicksick is not wrong with his statement. The Asian martial arts organization has perhaps the most dangerous jiu-jitsu specialist in heavyweight MMA history, Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida. They also have the only other heavyweight who can rival Ngannou's knockout power, ONE interim heavyweight and reigning light-heavyweight world champion Anatoly Malykhin.
Lastly, there's reigning ONE heavyweight world champion Arjan Bhullar, who has KO power as well as world-class wrestling that could pose a lot of problems for 'The Predator.'
