With his name now instantly respected in the boxing world, Francis Ngannou is in the early stages of being a two-sport star. Former UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou dipped his toe into the boxing world’s waters in October against WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury in a pay-per-view in Saudi Arabia. And while Ngannou lost the fight by split decision, he landed the 10-round bout’s only knockdown, and scores of analysts and observers thought he did enough to pull off what would have been a monumental upset. Had Fury taken Ngannou out to the proverbial woodshed in his boxing debut, the Cameroonian heavyweight might have decided to settle back into MMA in his new home with the PFL. There, the 2023 heavyweight season winner, Renan Ferreira , already has called Ngannou out.