Francis Ngannou Talks PFL Contract, Eyes Jon Jones, Deontay Wilder, Tyson Fury Fights

Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou signed with the PFL on Tuesday, and he discussed the deal during an interview with The DAZN MMA Show.

Ngannou addressed a slew of topics and he revealed that "if it was up to him" his next fight would be a boxing match against Tyson Fury or Deontay Wilder. He also said he's open to the possibility of fighting current UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones "if that could get worked out," per TSN's Aaron Bronsteter.

Ngannou hasn't fought since defeating Ciryl Gane by unanimous decision at UFC 270 in January 2022 to retain his heavyweight title. He underwent knee surgery after that fight and he was released from his UFC contract in January of this year.

"The past few months have been a very interesting time to understand and see the landscape, but I'm very excited about this deal with the PFL because they basically showed what I was expecting," Ngannou told the New York Times' Emmanuel Morgan. "They didn't just show up as a promotion that was looking for a fighter, but really came as a partner that sees more value in you as a person."

Upon his release from his UFC contract, Ngannou was called out by Fury for a potential fight with a mixed ruleset between boxing and MMA. In March, Ngannou told TMZ Sports that he and his team were considering a two-fight deal against Wilder.

After Jones claimed the vacant UFC heavyweight title with a win over Gane that same month, he took a shot at the former champ by calling him "a big ol' p---y" in his post-fight press conference. He also took another subliminal shot at Ngannou after his PFL deal was announced on Tuesday:

As part of his deal, Ngannou was named the chairman of PFL Africa, which Morgan described as "an expansion initiative to produce events on the continent." PFL chief executive Peter Murray said the company could begin holding events in the continent by 2025.

The 36-year-old said during his interview that PFL Africa "is the thing that gets him most pumped up" and the company is committed to help grow the sport of MMA in the region.