Francis Ngannou might return to the UFC octagon according to his coach, as the heavyweight division struggles to find clear direction with a semi-retired champion and an interim titleholder waiting for unification.
Eric Nicksick, Ngannou's coach, revealed the former heavyweight champion's potential interest in rejoining the organization he left in early 2023.
"He's training, he looks happy to be back in the gym with the team," Nicksick said in an interview with 'Home of Fight'. "He's been asking for that fight against Wilder, and if it happens, great, but right now the heavyweight division is in ruins. There's no clear direction, and that creates an opportunity."
Ngannou shocked the combat sports world last year when he departed the UFC for PFL while simultaneously launching a boxing career. His boxing match against Tyson Fury proved he could compete with the best in another sport while achieving financial freedom.
Interestingly, the Cameroonian fighter's priorities have shifted, according to his coach. It's no longer about money.
"Where does his motivation come from now? It's no longer about money. It's about competition. And the best competition is in the UFC," Nicksick explained.
The heavyweight division currently sits in limbo. Tom Aspinall holds an interim championship belt for nearly 600 days while Jon Jones continues to delay a potential unification bout and might retire without ever facing the British fighter.
Nicksick believes UFC President Dana White might be willing to resolve past differences with Ngannou.
"Dana is a smart businessman. I think he has enough sense to say: the past is the past. Let's explore the future. Look at the heavyweight division right now: what are we doing? Tom Aspinall has been holding an interim belt for almost 600 days. It's time to get things moving," he concluded.
Could Ngannou's potential return be the solution to the heavyweight division's current problems? With Jones potentially retiring without facing Aspinall, the division desperately needs star power and legitimate contenders at the top.
