Despite losing to WBC world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury in his professional boxing debut, Francis Ngannou has now cemented himself as one of the most lucrative names in combat sports.
While some think Ngannou should focus entirely on boxing, it's likely that his next outing in a combat sports setting will be inside the cage when he makes his debut in the Professional Fighters' League (PFL).
Ngannou signed with the promotion back in May and he will fight in the promotion's pay-per-view "Super Fight" division and PFL Europe's Head of Fighter Operations expects Ngannou to step into the cage early next year.
"I think it’s likely to be on the first pay-per-view show of the year which will probably fall around February or March. He won’t be waiting too long to step back in there with the small gloves," Hardy told DAZN.
"I have not seen the schedule yet, but that’s what I roughly understand and that will give him enough time to enjoy the spoils of war from the Fury fight and get back to his MMA training.
"The challenge then for us as PFL is trying to find someone who is going to step in there with him, maybe we can convince Tyson Fury to put the small gloves on one day."
Ngannou's last MMA fight was in January 2022 when he successfully defended his UFC heavyweight title against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270. This would be Ngannou's last appearance for the UFC with the Cameroonian leaving the organisation a year later after both parties failed to agree terms on a new contract.