The PFL is releasing Francis Ngannou after the former UFC heavyweight champion fought just once for the promotion in three years.
“The Professional Fighters League has made the decision to part ways with Francis Ngannou,” the promotion said in a statement released to social media Friday. “We have great respect for Francis as both an athlete and a person, and we wish him success in the next chapter of his combat sports career.”
The decision ends what had been a tumultuous relationship between the MMA league and the fighter. The heavyweight signed a multi-fight deal with the PFL in 2023, but never fought again after knocking out Renan Ferreira to win the PFL Super Fights Heavyweight Championship in October 2024. Ngannou’s contract allowed him to compete in other combat sports, leading him to box more often than he competed in the PFL. He fought Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua in a pair of boxing matches in Saudi Arabia between his UFC departure and PFL debut.
The Cameroon native also received an equity stake and was named chairman of PFL Africa as part of his contract. However, Ngannou was noticeably absent at PFL Africa’s debut event in July 2025, with PFL co-owner Donn Davis calling it “disappointing” that he didn’t attend. The heavyweight later said the reason he wasn’t there was because the event felt more like an “undercard”, adding he had expressed his displeasure with the event to the company.
Ngannou also faced a few personal tragedies during his time with the PFL, which contributed to his inactivity. His 15-month-old son Kobe died unexpectedly due to a brain malformation, a year before he was involved in a motorcycle accident that killed a woman in Cameroon.
His signing was part of a bigger push from the PFL to add star power that could compete with UFC’s roster. The promotion signed Jake Paul in 2023, with him and his business partner Nakisa Bidarian receiving minority equity ownership in the company. Paul ultimately never made his MMA debut before ending his ties with the promotion in January.
Ngannou is now a free agent, but a return to UFC appears unlikely. The 39-year-old left UFC as the active heavyweight champion, rejecting a contract to fight Jon Jones that UFC president Dana White said would have made him the highest-paid heavyweight in company history. White has badmouthed Ngannou since his departure, most recently calling him “a bad guy” and accusing him of grabbing him by the shirt during a confrontation about a bonus.
