“There’s No Deal” – Francis Ngannou’s UFC-PFL Developments Addressed by Ariel Helwani

There were rumors spreading like wildfire regarding Francis Ngannou, leaving UFC forever to fight for the Professional Fighters League (PFL). Ariel Helwani, the Canadian-American journalist, was finally able to respond to all the rumors. By announcing that Ngannou had no intention of joining the PFL, he put an end to all speculations. The Cameroonian fighter’s Instagram post served as the basis for the rumor.

The fighter shared pictures of himself celebrating the new year with his family, in which his mother could be seen wearing a PFL t-shirt. Within seconds, the post captured his followers’ attention, sparking all the rumors.

Rumors surrounding Francis Ngannou

At UFC 270, which took place on January 23, 2022, Francis Ngannou displayed his ferocious presence in the octagon. Ciryl Gane, the French heavyweight competitor, was ‘The Predator‘s opponent. His victory in round five by unanimous decision witnessed a major shift in his fighting career. All the fans are eagerly awaiting his arrival now that a year has passed since his last fight. Ngannou said he needs a break to regain his strength and heal from the knee surgery. After the break, everyone anticipated seeing the heavyweight champion engage in a fight. This factor, along with the post, added more weight to the rumors.

Before anyone could come up with alternative stories, Ariel Helwani put an end to all the speculations. While answering the questions sent in by fans in his show, The MMA hour, Helwani said, “Francis, as of right this moment isn’t going to the PFL. I don’t know why his mother was wearing a shirt with the PFL logo on it. The story is still evolving. I still believe at the end of the day he goes back to the UFC in large part because he’s not represented by CAA”.

READ MORE: UFC Legend Accuses Francis Ngannou of Not Carrying the “Lineage” of Great Heavyweight Champions Like Muhammad Ali

In further conversation, he added “That was a big stumbling block. CAA, Endeavor, they’re not the best of friends, but as of right this moment, there’s no deal in place for him to resign. There’s no deal in place for him to fight on March 4 and that’s going to be the real interesting one.”

Francis Ngannou vs Jon Jones

Even though Helwani mentioned the strong likelihood of Ngannou‘s comeback, ties between him and the UFC remain strained. The two parties were engaged in a heated argument on a number of issues. These included getting paid more, having problems with contracts, and fighting outside of the UFC.

The situation became more challenging because the UFC was not prepared to submit to the Heavyweight champ’s demands. Helwani gives the fans reason to be optimistic, however, by foreseeing a future bout between Ngannou and Jon Jones. ‘Bones’ is scheduled to compete in the octagon again this year, and the predator will be his best bet.

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