Everyone kept asking the same thing all through 2023. "When is Francis Ngannou actually going to fight?" If you were looking for Francis Ngannou MMA fights 2023, you probably spent the year feeling a little confused, maybe even a bit annoyed. The baddest man on the planet spent most of those twelve months in a boardroom or a boxing ring, not a cage.
Honestly, it’s one of the wildest stories in combat sports history. He walked away from the UFC while still holding the belt. People called him crazy. They said he was fumbling the bag.
But he didn't.
The MMA Void: Why There Were No Francis Ngannou MMA Fights 2023
Let’s get the big fact out of the way first. Francis Ngannou did not have a single MMA fight in 2023. I know, it sounds weird for a guy at the peak of his powers. His last trip to the Octagon was back in January 2022, when he beat Ciryl Gane with a messed-up knee. By the time January 2023 rolled around, the MMA world was vibrating with rumors. Then, the bomb dropped. Dana White announced that Ngannou was officially a free agent.
He didn't just leave; he walked out with the UFC Heavyweight Championship. That almost never happens.
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Most of 2023 was spent in the "wilderness." He was talking to ONE Championship. He was talking to Bare Knuckle FC. Scott Coker at Bellator was interested. But Francis had a very specific list of demands that made promoters sweat. He wanted a seat at the table. He wanted his opponents to be guaranteed a certain pay. He wanted the right to box.
The PFL Power Move
In May 2023, the silence finally broke. Francis signed a massive, "strategic partnership" with the Professional Fighters League (PFL).
This wasn't a normal contract. It was basically a business merger. Here is the gist of what he got:
- A leadership role as the Chairman of PFL Africa.
- A spot on the PFL Global Advisory Board to represent fighter interests.
- The freedom to go box whenever he felt like it.
- A guaranteed high-figure salary for his opponents (around $2 million).
Even with the ink dry on that PFL deal, he didn't jump into the cage. The PFL announced he wouldn't make his MMA debut for them until 2024. So, if you were refreshing Sherdog looking for a result, you were out of luck.
The Fight That Wasn't MMA (But Changed Everything)
Even though there weren't any Francis Ngannou MMA fights 2023, the man still had the biggest fight of the year. In October, he stepped into a boxing ring in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
He fought Tyson Fury.
People laughed. The betting odds were ridiculous. Most "experts" thought Fury would toy with him for two rounds and then put him out of his misery. Instead, Francis Ngannou—the MMA fighter with zero professional boxing matches—knocked the Lineal Heavyweight Champion of the world onto the canvas in the third round.
He lost a split decision that a lot of people (including me) thought he actually won. But it didn't matter. By not fighting in MMA in 2023, he became a bigger star than he ever was in the UFC.
Why the Layoff Mattered
It’s easy to look at a year of inactivity and think a fighter is "wasting time." In Ngannou's case, 2023 was about leverage.
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If he had stayed in the UFC, he would have fought Jon Jones. That’s the fight we all wanted. But he would have done it on the UFC’s terms. By sitting out and focusing on the PFL deal and the Fury fight, he earned more in one night in October than he did in his entire UFC career combined.
It changed the math for everyone else.
The Ripple Effect on the Heavyweight Division
While Francis was busy being a mogul and a boxer, the MMA world had to keep spinning.
Jon Jones moved up to heavyweight and choked out Ciryl Gane in about two minutes to take the vacant belt Francis left behind. Then Tom Aspinall showed up and started wrecking people. Suddenly, there was a divide. You had the "UFC Champion" and then you had the guy everyone knew was actually the best in the world, just sitting on the sidelines or wearing 10oz boxing gloves.
It created a weird tension in the sport. 2023 became the year of "What If?"
Actionable Insights for Fight Fans
If you're still tracking the legacy of the "Predator," here is how to view the 2023 gap:
- Don't rely on 2023 stats: If you see a site listing MMA stats for him in 2023, it’s wrong. He was 0-0 in the cage that year.
- Understand the PFL structure: He is part of the "Super Fight" division. This means he won't be doing the regular PFL season tournament. He only does big, one-off events.
- Watch the crossover: His success in 2023 proved that elite MMA strikers can be a nightmare for boxers if the style is right.
Ultimately, 2023 wasn't a year of "fights" for Francis Ngannou—it was a year of revolution. He proved a fighter could say "no" to the biggest machine in the world and still come out on top.
Next Steps for You
If you want to see Francis finally back in the cage, look up his 2024 PFL debut against Renan Ferreira. That was his official return to MMA after the long 2023 layoff. You should also check out the replay of the Fury fight if you haven't seen it; it's the most important "non-MMA" moment for any MMA fighter in the last decade.