“I don’t want to be in business with guys that I don’t like,” Dana White told The Mac Life, making it clear he does not want Francis Ngannou back in the UFC. This came after Ngannou revealed that his contract with the PFL is ending and that he wants to return to the UFC for a potential fight against Jon Jones at UFC White House. The Cameroonian hasn’t competed since October 24, 2023. Now, the PFL’s CEO has finally spoken out on Ngannou’s future.

Since signing with the PFL in May 2023, Ngannou has fought only once and spent the rest of his time in boxing or on the sidelines. Tensions flared when he skipped the PFL’s debut in Africa last year, despite holding the role of PFL Africa chairman. Things became more complicated when the PFL dropped Francis Ngannou from its latest rankings update this week, sparking questions about his relationship with the promotion.

Francis Ngannou’s status discussed by PFL CEO after skipping rankings

“We didn’t come up with the rankings… I don’t know. There must be some reason; maybe it’s Francis’s inactivity that didn’t allow him to be eligible for the rankings. So there was nothing on our part to keep him out of the rankings,” PFL CEO John Martin told Damon Martin. The Combat Registry independently maintains the PFL’s new rankings and also coordinates them with the UFC rankings.

Currently, Vadim Nemkov holds the number one spot in the PFL rankings, with Renan Ferreira behind him. As a result, Ngannou’s future in the promotion remains in limbo. In addition, his contract expires before June, which adds more uncertainty. Despite this, PFL CEO Martin did not provide a clear answer on whether ‘The Predator’ will fight anytime soon.

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“I don’t have anything to announce at the moment on Francis. We’re still, you know, if there’s a fight that makes sense for Francis and the PFL, we’ll make it happen. So we’re still working through it, and when there’s something to announce, I’ll announce it,” Martin added.

Francis Ngannou’s PFL return date remains unknown, and his chances of going back to the UFC appear slim. Moreover, his relationship with Dana White remains strained, as the two exchanged multiple verbal shots through press conferences last year.

However, with no MMA fight on the horizon, 39-year-old Ngannou could still return to boxing if he is considering retirement after his PFL contract.

The boxing ring could be Ngannou’s final destination

Francis Ngannou left the UFC after the promotion denied him permission to compete in boxing, citing his desire for “freedom.” After that, he signed with the PFL, which allowed him to pursue a boxing career. The Cameroonian fought two consecutive boxing matches, first against Tyson Fury and then against Anthony Joshua. He lost both fights, but he reportedly earned a $30 million purse.

Following his boxing stint, Ngannou made his PFL debut.

However, he has not competed since. During this period, he suffered personal losses, including the death of his son and a tragic accident in Cameroon that resulted in the death of a person. With so much happening in his life, Francis Ngannou stayed out of active competition. Now, approaching 40, he could consider boxing as a way to eventually end his career, as he suggested to Joe Rogan in 2024.

“I think I get to have a good four-fight plan in boxing, I think that could be good. You know, you get like a good four fights, and then you build, like, know who and who should be next. That could be my potential retirement plan,” Francis Ngannou told Joe Rogan on the JRE MMA Show #160.

Amid ongoing uncertainty, the PFL is reportedly unhappy with the Cameroonian’s prolonged absence. The promotion was already said to be “disappointed” by his limited involvement with PFL Africa.

Now, with no fight scheduled and no clear timeline for his return, speculation continues to grow about whether Ngannou will compete in the PFL again at all.