Francis Ngannou is officially a free agent, leaving the Professional Fighters League after a turbulent tenure.

The 39-year-old heavyweight, one of the sport’s most feared fighters, signed with PFL in January 2023 and made his lone appearance in October 2024 in Saudi Arabia, facing 6’8″ Renan Ferreira in a bout billed as the Battle of the Giants.

Since that fight, Ngannou and the PFL struggled to find common ground, and he hasn’t stepped back into the cage under their banner. With a UFC return unlikely, given his rocky history with Dana White, the MMA world is left wondering what’s next for the former champion.

Meanwhile, PFL says it will continue pursuing top talent and delivering high-level competition.