Former UFC heavyweight champion, Francis Ngannou, has officially signed with Professional Fighters League (PFL). However, no one’s quite sure what his next move will be — whether that’s in MMA or boxing — not even bookmakers. There are multiple Ngannou special bets available and we think we know how to profit off of them. Keep reading for our expert advice.
What Will Be Ngannou’s Next Fight?
First things first, once Ngannou fights next, will it be in a boxing ring or PFL one? That's the exact focus of the first special bet we want to discuss. But as seen below, boxing is the big betting favorite to be next up:
Ngannou has never boxed professionally. He has zero boxing contracts signed. But it’s still widely believed he’ll do that then honor his PFL contract. for MMA That contract, by the way, allows him to box as he wishes. He’s openly called out the top heavyweight boxers in the world — Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, and Deontay Wilder.
And if we’ve learned anything about Ngannou in the past two years or so, is the man wants his money. That’s why he ultimately left the UFC because the two sides could come to an agreement on money, thus leaving a dream fight against Jon Jones on the table. Still, reports coming out suggest Ngannou’s strong desire to box is also what drove him out of the UFC. After all, there’s not a paycheck in MMA that’ll pay bigger than a boxing gimmick match (not even that Jones dream matchup).
So all things considered, Ngannou’s desire to box is obvious. But it really only makes sense if the opponent is one of the three we just mentioned. That’s where the money is, which Ngannou also desires. We’re betting it turns out harder to get one of those boxers to bite and sign a contract so our underdog bet here is PFL. All the boxing variables are too much here.
Will Ngannou’s First Fight Be For PFL Title?
Here’s a simple yes-or-no bet on whether Ngannou’s PFL debut is a title match. Here again, the odds are overwhelming in one way:
Check out other UFC odds here.
Ngannou received a king’s ransom from the PFL in his contract — option to box, company equity, and a reported $2 million salary per fight. Will he also get an automatic title shot? You would think, but PFL isn’t exactly set up like the UFC where the heavyweight title is the end-all, be-all.
You see, PFL has a “Super Fight” division. This is a brand-new thing the company is pushing (but hasn’t debuted). Jake Paul was also signed to this division, albeit not to fight Ngannou (they would not risk their two best assets like that and the size difference is too much too). Super Fight is really about setting up the biggest matchups possible, whether they’re for championships or not.
As it stands, the PFL heavyweight champion is Philipe Lins. No disrespect to him, but PFL needs a bigger attraction to maximize Ngannou’s debut and get a return on their big investment. We fully expect the organization to sign someone to pair with Ngannou in a non-title fight. Bank on it!
Who Will Francis Ngannou Box First?
Earlier we didn’t say that Ngannou wouldn’t box, we just said it would take time to set something up and a PFL bout would come first. It’s quite clear Ngannou has his heart set on doing this eventually. And once he does, who will Ngannou end up boxing first? The boxing betting options are as follows:
Immediately we’re ruling out Joshua. His promoter, Eddie Hearn, called the idea of fighting Ngannou a “freak show” and “gimmick” — not exactly complimentary words. AJ has a more stoic demeanor to him too which makes this matchup less fun than, say, Fury and Wilder.
Out of the two, we’d favor a bet on Wilder. Fury has his pick at any boxing fight, including Oleksandr Usyk, which would sell more than against Ngannou. So the Gypsy King has options, whereas Wilder has less so. We’ll stop short of saying Wilder needs this fight with Ngannou, but it certainly would help his wallet and social profile. Our money says Wilder vs. Ngannou happens first.
How To Bet On Ngannou’s Future Fight?
The three wagers we covered above are futures betting options. The payouts are not near-term with these, hence the name futures, but the payouts could be lucrative for those patient enough to wait for an outcome. What’s that old saying, “the best things in life are worth waiting for”? It’s true here. To lock in these Ngannou futures bets, visit one of the bookmakers listed below.
You see, not just any sportsbook offers these Ngannou-specific bets though. No, no, no but the offshore bookies in the table do. As outlined in our latest sportsbook reviews, these sites lead the way with their sportsbook depth, offering odds on anything and everything, including Ngannou’s future.
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