When Francis Ngannou left the UFC for better opportunities, many said he ‘fumbled the bag.’ Well, almost a year and a half later, the Cameroonian is making his doubters eat their words. The former UFC heavyweight champion and current chairman of PFL Africa made a return to the JRE MMA Show recently. While talking to Joe Rogan, Ngannou revealed the massive paychecks he pocketed during his two outings in boxing – the only two times he has competed since exiting the UFC. But that’s not all. ‘The Predator’ had more than just money on his mind when he went to these fights.

“Since I was a kid, my dream has always been to become a boxer,” said Ngannou. “I have made a good amount of money, but you also have to remember that I started this sport for passion,” said Ngannou when Rogan asked about his financials.

On ‘JRE MMAShow #160’, the French-Cameroon star expressed that his boxing journey means to him much more than money, “You know, you don’t start the sport for the money because, at first, there is no money. Right? At first, it’s just punches flying over your head all over, and you have to dodge and then fight and not get paid. Fight for free for quite some time, you know? So I love the sport. I still love the sport. I love combat sports. I love fighting, and I think I’ll do it until I feel like I cannot do it anymore.”

According to various reports from trusted sources, Francis Ngannou has made a massive $30 million from his two fights. His debut in boxing against Tyson Fury made him approximately $10 million while on the other hand, his clash against Anthony Joshua made him a hefty $20 million.

In comparison, his last UFC fight against Ciryl Gane in January 2022 had a disclosed salary of $600K. In comparison, Gane took home a reported $500K. With any bonuses and PPV shares, he might have crossed the million-dollar mark. Still, pocketing 8-figure paydays that amount to a total of $30 million in just two fights is the opposite of fumbling the bag. Besides, he is under contract with the PFL and allowed to pursue his boxing dreams outside of it.

It must be noted that Ngannou is a part of PFL as well so he would have to fight under them but when’s he making a comeback to MMA world? Let us find out.

Francis Ngannou reveals the timeline of his MMA comeback

Th͏e comb͏͏͏at͏͏͏ ͏co͏mm͏u͏ni͏ty͏͏͏ mi͏͏gh͏͏͏t ͏w͏͏͏͏on͏͏͏d͏e͏r i͏͏f͏͏͏ F͏r͏anc͏͏is ͏N͏͏g͏͏an͏͏nou w͏o͏͏͏u͏͏ld͏͏ p͏riorit͏͏iz͏e͏ ͏͏h͏is͏͏͏ boxing͏ ͏c͏a͏͏reer͏ o͏ve͏r h͏͏i͏͏s MMA out͏ings,͏ ͏bu͏t ͏th͏e re͏ali͏ty͏ is a bit͏͏͏ diffe͏͏͏ren͏t͏.͏͏ Ngannou is n͏ot͏ j͏ust a ͏f͏͏͏͏ig͏h͏t͏er͏͏͏; he ͏i͏s͏ ͏a c͏ru͏cia͏͏͏͏͏l͏͏͏ par͏t͏͏͏ of͏͏ ͏͏͏t͏͏͏͏he p͏r͏omo͏͏͏͏͏͏͏t͏io͏n t͏o͏͏ a͏d͏van͏͏͏͏͏͏͏c͏͏e A͏͏f͏͏r͏i͏ca’͏s ͏͏͏͏͏pr͏͏ese͏nce in͏͏͏͏ th͏e ͏w͏or͏l͏d͏͏ ͏of͏͏ MM͏A͏͏. While having a conversation with the media, Ngannou explained that he has some commitments to make with the PFL and his next fight will be in MMA.

“I think Renan Ferreira is the guy. I’ve been telling people about this guy for almost two years. Very athletic. Fast hands, knees, very athletic. I think it’s going to be him. That’s what the PFL is working on. October, sometime. They’re working on October. It’s not finalized but they were talking about Oct. 19. I will say MMA [is definitely] next,” Ngannou further added.

Interestingly, Dana White, who seemed to be done with Ngannou for good, seems to be loosening his stance. The UFC’s recent collaboration with Turki Alalshikh and Riyadh Season promises big things for MMA fans. When asked about a cross-promotion fight with Francis Ngannou, White uncharacteristically left the door open to the idea.

He said, “Well, I actually respect Sheikh Turki, he’s a nice guy. We have actually formed a relationship over the last couple of months. I respect what he has done with boxing. This is the only guy that could pull this off and make these big fights. And the fights are good, you don’t have guys coming in and avoiding fights so they can get to the next payday. What this guy has done in a short amount of time is pretty incredible, so we’re obviously talking about lots of different options with this guy. I respect him. I like him, so we will see what the future holds.”

This could mean fans could finally see a Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou showdown in MMA. Well, it’s not as outside the realm of possibility as it was before, but it’s still a long way away.

With a career record of 17 victories and 3 defeats, Francis Ngannou is one of the most scariest fighters in the world. What do you make of his return to MMA? Will he make bank anywhere near to what he did in boxing? State your thoughts in the comments below.