Former UFC and PFL heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou was in active negotiations for a highly anticipated fight with Glory kickboxing legend Rico Verhoeven. However, the undisputed P4P leader and reigning heavyweight boxing champion, Oleksandr Usyk, intervened and successfully secured Verhoeven for a different bout, effectively derailing Ngannou’s carefully laid plans.
Ngannou: “Honestly, I was a little disappointed”
Following this unexpected turn of events, Ngannou accepted an offer to compete in a May show, linked to the names of Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano, where he is now scheduled to face Filipe Lins.
In an interview with Ariel Helwani, Francis Ngannou elaborated on his feelings regarding the situation: “No disrespect to Filipe, but I was very excited about the opportunity to fight Rico. When I heard he signed a contract to fight Usyk, I honestly admit I was a little disappointed. I don’t know anything about the numbers or offers, but I heard that sometime in December or even earlier, he gave a verbal agreement for a boxing match with either Usyk or Joshua.”