The Professional Fighters League announced Friday at 9: 14 a. m. ET that it has parted ways with heavyweight Francis Ngannou, removing a marquee athlete from its roster and prompting questions about future big fights. Philipe Lins appears in coverage of possible next opponents, but PFL’s statement did not name replacements or confirm Ngannou’s next move.
PFL Statement Friday and Francis Ngannou’s Exit
The organization released a statement Friday morning confirming the split. “The Professional Fighters League has made the decision to part ways with Francis Ngannou, ” the statement read, and added: “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 statement also said the PFL will remain focused on recruiting and signing top athletes while continuing to deliver world-class competition.
Philipe Lins Appears in Coverage but Was Not Named in PFL Statement
While some coverage has referenced Philipe Lins in the wake of the announcement, the PFL statement did not identify any replacements or outline immediate plans for a marquee heavyweight slot. That leaves open how the organization will fill the roster gap created by Ngannou’s departure and whether any specific opponents have been secured.
Ngannou’s Recent Fights: UFC, PFL and High-Profile Boxing Matches
Ngannou is a former undisputed UFC heavyweight champion and is still the lineal heavyweight champion of mixed martial arts. He signed with the PFL in May of 2023 after a split with the UFC in 2022 following a contract dispute while he was the active champion.
His UFC run began with a debut in 2015 and reached its peak by 2021, when he held the heavyweight title with 11 stoppage wins. Those stoppage victories included knockout wins over former champions Stipe Miocic, Cain Velasquez, Junior dos Santos and Andrei Arlovski. Ngannou’s final UFC bout was a unanimous decision title defense against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 in January of 2022.
Under the PFL banner, Ngannou fought once, stopping Renan Ferreira in the opening round with ground-and-pound strikes at an October 2024 PFL main event. The 39-year-old from Cameroon was named chairman of PFL Africa when that series launched in May of 2025.
Ngannou also pursued high-profile boxing contests. He went the distance and lost a close decision to Tyson Fury in October 2023 while scoring a knockdown in that fight, and he was knocked out by Anthony Joshua in March of 2024 in his second professional boxing match.
No next fight or promotional appearance has been confirmed for Ngannou as of Friday at 9: 14 a. m. ET. It is unclear at this time what will come next for Ngannou, whether he will return to MMA or potentially seek another boxing match.
