Bellator president Scott Coker discussed the prospect of signing free agent Francis Ngannou on The MMA Junkie Youtube channel.
Options for Francis Ngannou
Francis Ngannou was crowned UFC heavyweight champion at UFC 260 in March 2021 with a vicious KO. Fast forward to January 2023, Ngannou was released by the UFC after failing to agree on a new contract for the superstar. Many believed he would pursue his childhood dream of becoming a champion in boxing. However, a few months on from his release, we are yet to hear his decision.
Murmurs of fights with the elite of the heavyweight boxing division circle consistently, Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, and Deontay Wilder are all rumoured options for the former champion. However, with Fury looking to lock horns with Oleksandr Usyk after months of negotiations and Joshua fighting Jermaine Franklin in April, the boxing options are dwindling away.
Scott Coker Had This to Say
Scott Coker, the Bellator CEO, is looking to sign Ngannou, not necessarily to Bellator but possibly to Showtime, the boxing promotion. He spoke to the media before the Bellator 292 event. Headlined by lightweight king Usman Nurmagomedov. British favourite Michael ‘Venom’ Page also features over in San Jose.
Coker stated,
“My guys have been talking to Francis, I know they’ve met”
He followed up with,
“Anything can happen, but I’m not sure we’re gonna be in that business on the MMA side, Maybe on the boxing side, it might work out. To me it’s like, it has to be equitable for everybody, and that’s how I feel. We have a pretty robust purse amount every year, and we can spread that around, we can take a lot of that purse and pay our guys, and sign other fighters, and keep building divisions, right? So to me, I’d say it’s 50/50 at this point.”
Quotes via LowKickMMA
Francis Ngannou continues to be the talk of the fight community. Born and raised in Batié, Cameroon, the story of Ngannou is astonishing. He worked in sand mines for a year whilst living in poverty. He emigrated to Paris to chase the dream of becoming a pro boxer. He lived homeless whilst he found an MMA gym to train at in 2013. His life story was a draw for many fans, but his ferocious power really captured the audience of all. Violent KOs throughout his UFC tenure made him one of the most popular fighters in the sport. He became champion whilst fellow African champions Israel Adesanya, and Kamaru Usman also held belts. Fans fantasized about a UFC Africa event. However, this never materialized. Now the three no longer hold their belts.
Where next do you see the former heavyweight champion competing next?
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
