Francis Ngannou expects boxing fight next, lists 3 ex-champs — or Rico Verhoeven — as top options

Francis Ngannou still looms large over boxing’s heavyweight division.

When Ngannou returned to MMA this past October after nearly three years away, he wasted little time reaffirming his place as one of the best heavyweights in the world, smashing through Renan Ferreira for a first-round knockout in his PFL debut. Immediately, the question became: What’s next?

Fortunately for Ngannou, he isn’t short on options within combat sports after taking a brief detour into boxing for two side-quest matches with Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. Despite his successful MMA return, Ngannou still intends to pursue a third boxing match next and has several names in mind.

“Rico Verhoeven could happen, but I don’t know,” Ngannou told Uncrowned. “I have a few fights left. I focus on very few fights, not on options. There’s a lot of options. Rico is an option. Derek Chisora is an option. Wladimir Klitschko could be an option.

“I want a boxing fight next. I’d prefer a boxing fight next, maybe Deontay Wilder.”

The prospect of a Ngannou vs. Wilder match captivated fight fans in the past. PFL even teased the pairing in 2024, with the promotion’s founder Donn Davis suggesting ideas for a mixed-rules bout.

On the other hand, there’s the GLORY Kickboxing champion Verhoeven. Both fighters laid the tracks for a potential combat showdown as soon as Ngannou defeated Ferreira, with both expressing their interest.

There’s no wrong answer for “The Predator,” and the boxing world has continued to thrive since Ngannou’s loss to Joshua. Ngannou’s first boxing opponent, the all-time great Fury, followed up a split decision win over Ngannou with back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk in 2024. Fury announced his retirement after the bout, leaving Usyk as the only man to have defeated him in his 37-match career.

Having watched the Usyk vs. Fury rematch, Ngannou felt the judges rewarded the wrong man with the unanimous decision verdict.

“Personally, I gave it to Tyson, but it was a great fight,” Ngannou said. “I thought Tyson won that fight. It was very close, but I think Usyk left the best impression by [getting stronger] at the end of the fight. Whereas Tyson was better earlier on, so maybe that’s what stuck in the judges’ minds. I think it was a great fight for both of them, though.

“Tyson Fury represents a lot of interest in the boxing community, and I’m just an outsider. I never expected to win [our] fight by decision. I wasn’t surprised. I was sad, and people were arguing. But that’s just how this game works. I don’t know if I will rematch Fury. I hope so.”

While Ngannou’s options remain relatively open-ended in the boxing world, PFL’s most desired matchup for the former champ is a long-shot fantasy affair with minimal chance of happening — a clash against current UFC champion Jon Jones. But PFL also crowned a new heavyweight tournament winner in Denis Goltsov in late 2024, and former Bellator light heavyweight kingpin Vadim Nemkov has remained a force within the promotion since moving to heavyweight — the latter of which is more on Ngannou’s radar.

“To challenge and fight a contender. To fight someone like Vadim Nemkov,” Ngannou said of his MMA goals. “I think it’s also about the timing. Yes, there are interesting [fights in the PFL]. Every fight that can happen, I’ll be ready to go.”

Outside of the PFL cage, Ngannou is still involved as part of the promotion’s “global advisory board,” where he is the chairman of PFL Africa.

Several notable changes in the PFL format have occurred ahead of the organization’s 2025 season, ranging from a prize money decrease to the seasonal tournament style.

When the changes were announced publicly, Ngannou was as surprised as anyone else.

“Personally, I don’t get [involved] that much,” Ngannou said regarding PFL business dealings. “I think that is the business side, and I don’t personally understand much. I am not involved. Like you, I am just watching. That’s not a part of my business. I happen to be like, ‘What exactly are they going to do with this because I don’t understand?’ I’m surprised by seeing it, just like everyone else.”