Will Francis Ngannou Step Foot Inside the Cage in 2026?

It would be fair to say that Francis Ngannou is stuck between a rock and a hard place.

He’s 39-years-old, with just one fight left on his PFL contract. He’s been told in no uncertain terms by Dana White that he’s not welcome back at the UFC, and his brief foray into boxing didn’t exactly go according to plan.

So, what does 2026 have in store for The Predator?

The Gloves are On

Boxing is, as we know, a more lucrative and, arguably, less dangerous pursuit than MMA.

Ngannou has already taken on two of the best heavyweight boxers of the modern era in Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury – taking the latter to the woodshed in a narrow defeat, before being knocked out by the former.

The Anthony Joshua betting odds for the Brit’s clash with Jake Paul showed just how difficult it is for non-boxers to compete with the more experienced pugilists – Paul was KO’d in the sixth round and needed surgery to fix a broken jaw.

Sportsbooks are also offering boxing odds for a speculative bout between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury, with the Ukrainian made a -250 favorite should he take on the Gypsy King in 2026.

There is, perhaps, only one viable avenue for Ngannou to explore in boxing: a bout with Jake Paul.

That would do some serious numbers, you suspect, with both men something of a draw – for varying reasons. It would certainly be a lucrative 40th birthday present for the Cameroonian, who reaches that milestone in September.

PFL Swansong

It’s likely that Ngannou will honor his PFL contract, on which he has one fight remaining.

The last time he was seen inside the cage was in his first round demolition of Renan Ferreira back in October 2024, but PFL CEO John Martin is confident that his heavyweight king will return.

“Francis has one more fight on his contract and I’m looking forward to putting on a really, really special fight for him,” Martin said.

The list of available opponents are unlikely to move the needle, with Heavyweight World champion Vadim Nemkov and Oleg Popov both known for their grappling and mat skills rather than striking power.

It may be that taking the PFL to Africa – ideally Cameroon, would be the vehicle that revitalizes Ngannou’s mojo.

Unhappy Homecoming

“I don’t want to be in business with guys that I don’t like and that I don’t think are good guys.” Dana White’s words have seemingly closed the door on a return to the UFC for Ngannou.

But money talks… and you wonder if White would be tempted to at least get around the table with his former champion; especially given the parlous state of the UFC’s heavyweight division.

Tom Aspinall and Cyril Gane, nominally the best in the 265lb category, don’t generate a huge number of PPV buys off their own steam. They will likely rematch in 2026, given that their October meeting ended in chaos via an accidental eye poke, but it’s a card headliner that lacks crossover appeal.

But Ngannou versus Jon Jones in the Octagon? Now that would do some serious business, particularly for shrewd businessmen like Dana White.