League President Chatri Sityodtong announced this in the next edition of the MMA Hour program.
“We continue to talk with Francis – I like Francis and I think he can give a lot to our organization,” – said the head of ONE Championship. “I think he will have a hard time in our heavyweight division. Frankly, this is a big challenge for Francis. If you look at Anatoly Malykhin, his record is 12-0 and he is a former member of the Russian wrestling team. He can knock out with one punch and has an 80% stoppage rate.”
“However, fighting a big striker like Francis Ngnu is anyone’s worst nightmare. He is a giant monster. Now he has a bunch of proposals, and he is waiting for our final offer. I don’t know if my team managed to send him out, but we are meeting with Francis this Saturday. I think we can come to an agreement.”
Last month, the Cameroonian heavyweight announced he was choosing between the ONE Championship and PFL offerings, but it looks like the American league is not going to fight for the Predator and is fully occupied with the start of the season.
Recall that at the beginning of this year, Francis Ngannou officially vacated the UFC heavyweight championship belt, leaving the organization as a free agent. At the same time, the Cameroonian made it clear that he plans to make his debut in professional boxing before returning to mixed martial arts.