There is an article on the main page speculating on Ngannou's first PFL fight and they throw out 5 names as options. They are all pretty terrible lol. Out of the 5 I think Ben Rothwell is probably the best match up. He's the only one that's either not been KO'd by Francis already or not totally washed up. I could give him like a 1% shot at an upset just because he has that power and he has been pretty much boxing lately. So I'd probably go with Ben. I don't think anyone would care about the current PFL champ. That would be tough to sell. Who would you choose?
I reckon Derrick Lewis is up there in terms of prospective opponents & marketability. He's a very expensive addition to the UFC roster & I can see him getting cut after yet another first round KO. Big name, big social media presence, holder of the UFC KO record (I think) & for the cherry on top, he holds a win over Ngannou. Loads for the PFL promotion team to work with there.
Overeem is suspended for 12 months so that's out of the way.
Ben is washed up. Werdum is far too old. JDS meh. s---, the correct answer is none of these guys.
The PPV is not going to sell well. Francis as good as he is isn't even a draw.
Ngannou and the P.F.L. were expected to announce Tuesday that they had agreed to what they labeled a “strategic partnership,” a deal that gives Ngannou equity and leadership roles in the mixed martial arts company while also letting him pursue outside boxing fights.
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coreymb said:
Overeem is suspended for 12 months so that's out of the way.
Ben is washed up. Werdum is far too old. JDS meh. s---, the correct answer is none of these guys.
The PPV is not going to sell well. Francis as good as he is isn't even a draw.
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Those things are usually done retroactively yes? So he tested positive for his oct/2022 fight. By the time Francis fights in PFL it will be 2024 so its plausible he could be one of them, but i doubt they do a rematch for Francis as his first fight in PFL, not unless the rematch is against someone who has been on a tear lately.
The PFL is in desperate need of drawing power and I think the Ngannou signing (for them) was a mistake.
They have no viable opponent for him. The only fights that could help draw major business would be a co-promoted venture with either Deontay Wilder or The Gypsy King.
Well you can cross the Reem of this list. Apparently off the roids and back to the old school skinny Reem.
MSN
This is actually pretty amazing to see someone put on some much bulk then drop it over the course of 15 years. Holy science.
kickboxing said:
15 yrs? this was him in the badr fight last yr
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LOL I know. The actual transitions in size happened ultra quick which is what makes it so damn crazy. To see someone go from a normal fit human, to super hero proportions, back to normal fit human over the course of their career is amazing. You occasionally see this with NFL linemen.... that's probably the only time I've seen someone bulk down like this. Usually once you go up... you're up.
Originally posted by: thedarkwingduck2k11 Date: July 11, 2023 at 05:33 PM Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/ngannou-first-pfl-opponent.74990/
thedarkwingduck2k11 said:
do i win a prize?
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It’s truly embarrassing for the so called best boxer in the world to be fighting a former UFC champ without a legit boxing win under his belt. Fury’s been pissing a lot of fans off lately with his antics and smack talk. He wanted AJ first but wanted it done quickly so talked a bunch of s--- on social media, giving the former champion deadlines, but this is not how promoters, managers and lawyers work. There’s a long process to make big fights worth millions happen. AJ decided to look elsewhere. Fury then turned his intentions to Usyk, demanding a 70-30 split in his favour. Usyk called his bluff and gave into his demands. Fury start demanding more and the fight fell apart. Now fighting Ngannou. Fury’s turning into a joke lately. Only fought two legit fighters in wilder and Klitscho. Padded career the rest.
Originally posted by: thedarkwingduck2k11 Date: July 14, 2023 at 10:30 AM Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/ngannou-first-pfl-opponent.74990/
MMAFTM13 said:
It’s truly embarrassing for the so called best boxer in the world to be fighting a former UFC champ without a legit boxing win under his belt. Fury’s been pissing a lot of fans off lately with his antics and smack talk. He wanted AJ first but wanted it done quickly so talked a bunch of s--- on social media, giving the former champion deadlines, but this is not how promoters, managers and lawyers work. There’s a long process to make big fights worth millions happen. AJ decided to look elsewhere. Fury then turned his intentions to Usyk, demanding a 70-30 split in his favour. Usyk called his bluff and gave into his demands. Fury start demanding more and the fight fell apart. Now fighting Ngannou. Fury’s turning into a joke lately. Only fought two legit fighters in wilder and Klitscho. Padded career the rest.
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I'm just happy for Ngannou, he's gonna get his big break. Even if he loses, this fight will change his life, sort of like the Mayweather/Mcgregor fight. Everyone called him dumb for reneging the ufc contract, but now it's so worth it. What's even better is Greedy Little Dana will have no part in it this time.
