Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou finally has a date for his return to MMA, and oddsmakers have him as a heavy favorite in his first fight with the PFL organization on Oct. 19.
Ngannou will enter his PFL debut as a -345 favorite over 2023 PFL heavyweight champion Renan Ferreira, who is a +275 underdog in this fight for the newly created PFL Super Fights Championship Belt. Ferreira has won his last four PFL fights, all via knockout, with none of those bouts lasting beyond the first minute of the second round.
Ngannou is returning to MMA competition after two boxing matches against top heavyweights, with mixed results. After dropping Tyson Fury before losing via split-decision in his first pro boxing match, Ngannou was brutally knocked out by Anthony Joshua in March.
This will be Ngannou’s first fight in MMA since successfully defending his UFC heavyweight title against Cyril Gane in January 2022. Ngannou opted to wait out the remainder of his UFC contract after that fight in order to become a free agent. He signed with PFL shortly thereafter on a deal that would allow him to simultaneously pursue a boxing career.
Ngannou has not opened as this heavy a favorite since his 2017 bout with former UFC champ Andrei Arlovski. The 6-foot-8-inch Ferreira, on the other hand, has never been such a big underdog in any MMA bout with a major promoter.
How to watch PFL: Ngannou vs. Ferreira
- Date: Saturday, Oct. 19
- Broadcast: ESPN+ pay-per-view
