Francis Ngannou’s time with the UFC might not be over.
It’s been over three years since Ngannou last competed in the octagon and two years since he departed in free agency to join the PFL. Ngannou has fought one time during that span, defeating Renan Ferreira via knockout in October 2024, but otherwise has been mostly out of sight. Most recently, he was involved in a tragic incident in his native Cameroon, where he was involved in a motorcycle accident that resulted in the death of a 17-year-old girl.
There’s no telling when or if the 38-year-old Ngannou will fight again, but his coach Eric Nicksick thinks one career option could be to return to the UFC somewhere down the road.
“I know that he’s been kind of asking for that [Deontay] Wilder fight, and if that’s something that comes up, great,” Nicksick told Home of Fight. “I just feel like the heavyweight division as a whole is kind of in shambles, and I think that if we can somehow, someway get this back together, there’s so many options for Francis. Not only in the UFC, but just around. I think that he can help bridge that gap that the UFC is lacking in its star power when it comes to the heavyweight division,
“I think enough time has passed. I would love to see somehow, someway that they can mend these fences and get back in competing in the UFC.”
Ngannou parted ways with the UFC under acrimonious circumstances and with a heavyweight title still around his waist. In his last fight for the promotion, he successfully defended his heavyweight title with a decision win over Ciryl Gane. What followed was a prolonged contract negotiation with UFC that ended in January 2023 when Ngannou was allowed to become an unrestricted free agent.
Though UFC CEO Dana White has publicly criticized Ngannou on several occasions, Nicksick is convinced the two can put aside their differences for the sake of business.
“100 percent,” Nicksick said. “I think this is more about business than it is about ego, at least it is from Francis’ side. He wants the opportunity to be paid for — It’s like being an independent contractor. You [want to be] paid the highest amount for whoever needs your services. He doesn’t want to be stuck in a position where he’s not allowed to go box or he’s not allowed to go do these things, but he went out and did these things and he competed and made a lot of money, proved that he could do it. So, now, where does his motivation come from?
“It’s not about money, it’s about competition, and the best competition is in the UFC.”
Francis Ngannou coach ‘100 percent’ confident fighter is open to UFC return, Jon Jones reacts
Coach Eric Nicksick thinks the door is open for Francis Ngannou and the UFC to talk business.
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