Francis Ngannou claims PFL split was not his decision

Francis
Ngannou didn’t want his relationship with the
Professional Fighters League to end in the way it
did. 

PFL suddenly announced earlier this month that Ngannou was no
longer a part of the promotion. Days later, it was announced that
Ngannou was booked to fight Philipe
Lins on May 16 on a
Netflix card under the banner of Most Valuable
Promotions. 

Ngannou claims the PFL announced his release to stay ahead of the
narrative, which the former
UFC heavyweight champion understands. However, Ngannou claims
that the decision to part ways was not his. “The Predator” wanted
the PFL to come up with a nicer story to explain his release.
Ngannou also revealed that he had originally left the PFL in
January. Ngannou claims he had no prior knowledge that the PFL
would publicly announce his release before they did.

Caught Off Guard

“They wanted to get ahead of the story, which is what every
organization would do,” Ngannou said on “The
Ariel Helwani Show.” “Because we part ways since January. I
also wanted them to come up with something better. Because the
decision to part ways was not mine. I was a little surprised when
they sent me that. They should have also told me… People just sent
it to me. I just saw it out there; I wasn’t aware at
all.” 

Ngannou (18-3) parted ways with the UFC after failed contract
negotiations in 2023 and signed up with the PFL soon after.
Ngannou’s high-profile PFL contract allowed him to simultaneously
compete in boxing, a demand the UFC refused to meet. Ngannou then
lost to Tyson Fury
and Anthony
Joshua in boxing. Ngannou fought only once in the PFL,
defeating Renan
Ferreira in October 2024. Ngannou also served as the chairman
of PFL Africa, aiming to develop the sport on the continent.
Ngannou says he would like to continue working for PFL Africa in
some capacity as it was always separate from his fight
contract.