Francis Ngannou is set to make his Professional Fighters League debut against the victor of Saturday’s match between Ryan Bader and Renan Ferreira.
At 37 years old, he signed with the PFL last year but is scheduled to face Britain’s Anthony Joshua in a boxing match in Riyadh on March 8th. Ngannou narrowly lost to Tyson Fury in his boxing debut in October.
Earlier this month, PFL chief Peter Murray informed BBC Sport that Ngannou’s debut in the MMA promotion is expected to occur “in the second half of the year.”
American Bader, aged 40, and Brazil’s Ferreira, aged 34, are set to compete in Saudi Arabia on Saturday as part of a PFL v Bellator Champions event.
Murray said: “Francis is a true combat sports icon with a global fanbase and appeal. We, along with the rest of the MMA world, will be watching to see who his first opponent will be, Ferreira or Bader.”
The upcoming event in Riyadh, which will be attended by Cameroon’s Ngannou, marks the first collaboration between both brands since the PFL acquired Bellator in November through a “transformative deal.”
This event further underscores Saudi Arabia’s commitment to sports like boxing and football, despite ongoing criticism regarding the nation’s use of sports to divert attention from its human rights issues.
Former UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou has not competed in MMA since defending his title against Ciryl Gane in January 2022. He faced a year-long hiatus due to a knee injury and was subsequently stripped of his title upon leaving the UFC. Ngannou later signed a contract with the PFL.