Like most, Daniel Cormier was surprised to see heavyweight legend Francis Ngannou in UFC gear this month.
After Ngannou defeated Ciryl Gane in January 2022, a contractual dispute played out during his injury layoff.
As talk of a return arose to kick off 2023, it was announced that Ngannou was leaving the UFC as champion after turning down the promotion’s final offer.
‘The Predator’ has since signed with the PFL and fulfilled his boxing ambitions. All the while, UFC CEO Dana White has continued to speak negatively about the Cameroonian.
That appeared to put a UFC comeback well and truly off the table, but recent speculation about a return was further fueled when Ngannou appeared at the UFC Atlanta ceremonial weigh-ins to accompany headliner Kamaru Usman.
Daniel Cormier ‘popped’ for Francis Ngannou at UFC Atlanta
Days before the appearance in Atlanta, his coach Eric Nicksick sparked talk of Ngannou’s UFC comeback by stating his desire to see the long-awaited Jon Jones fight come to fruition.
While his presence in Atlanta likely had no bearing on that, one man who was critical of the Cameroonian’s decision to leave the UFC was still excited to see him.
During an episode of his Good Guy/Bad Guy show alongside Chael Sonnen, Daniel Cormier reacted to Ngannou’s arrival at UFC Atlanta and spoke about the “aura” the former UFC champion brings with him wherever he goes.
“When I saw Francis, I popped, ‘Big Francis!’ I hadn’t seen Francis in a minute. I got excited,” Cormier said.
“Francis still carries that aura about him, where you’re like, ‘That’s a bad dude, man.’ Big old African dude. Looked like he’s about 300 pounds now. He’s strong and fast.
“And then can wrestle? When he took Ciryl Gane down, I said, ‘Oh my God, if he learned to wrestle, everybody’s in trouble,'” Cormier added.
- READ MORE: UFC legend tells Kamaru Usman to call out ‘alpha male’ welterweight nobody wants to fight
UFC is told that PFL must negotiate Francis Ngannou trade
The clash between Jones and Ngannou has long been discussed, with their back-and-forth existing even before ‘The Predator’ became champion in 2021.
The PFL has been clear in expressing its willingness to co-promote the bout with the UFC. But White’s promotion was recently told an alternative way to make the fight happen.
According to former fighter Josh Thomson, the PFL’s financial situation, coupled with Ngannou’s lucrative contract and MMA inactivity, means they would have no choice but to entertain a trade offer for ‘The Predator’.
“The only way it wouldn’t be a waste of time is like if there’s a trade,” Thomson said on his Weighing In podcast.
“PFL can’t afford Francis anymore… Like, who are we gonna have you fight? (Vadim) Nemkov, that’s the only guy. There’s nobody else for you to fight. So move on, go back and fight Jon.
“The UFC needs it. The PFL could use a couple other fighters to add to their tournaments,” Thomson added. “Make the trade, whatever it is.
“With Francis, you could definitely send him off. Why am I (PFL) gonna pay him $4 million, or whatever it is, plus pay his opponent $2 million? … You guys are not getting the views right now! You’re just hemorrhaging money.”
For now, the Jones vs. Ngannou bout remains in the fantasy realm, with the Cameroonian knockout artist instead keeping his eyes on a return to the ring.