‘Disappointed’ Francis Ngannou reacts to losing Rico Verhoeven fight, claims he was blindsided by news of ‘weird’ PFL release
Former UFC heavyweight champion, Francis Ngannou, was released by PFL back in January. Both sides were tight-lipped about the decision to part ways, right up until the morning of March 6, when the promotion went public with its decision to move forward without “The Predator.” Ngannou, 39, didn’t know it was announced until he read […]
Cameroonian-French Francis Ngannou speaks during the Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) and Netflix 5X5 Professional MMA bound pre-fight press conference outside the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California on March 10, 2026. Rhonda Rousey will face Gina Carano on May 16, 2026. Both fighters will be returning after lengthy retirements.
Ngannou will face Brazilian Philipe Lins in the undercard match. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images Former UFC heavyweight champion, Francis Ngannou, was released by PFL back in January.
Both sides were tight-lipped about the decision to part ways, right up until the morning of March 6, when the promotion went public with its decision to move forward without “The Predator. ” Ngannou, 39, didn’t know it was announced until he read it online. “We parted ways in January,” Ngannou (18-3) told Uncrowned .
“I wanted to also give them a better way to come up with something, because that was their decision to part ways. Not mine. But I was a little surprised when they [made the announcement].