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(Exclusive) UFC Legend Randy Couture on Francis Ngannou's Future after PFL Debut

UFC legend and current PFL commentator Randy Couture told MMA Knockout's Zain Bando that Francis Ngannou's multi-sport combat options make him unique.

Zain Bando

John Sciulli/Getty Images

Former two-division UFC champion Randy Couture praised PFL Super Fight Champion Francis Ngannou on a successful return to MMA.

Couture Talks Ngannou's Future In Combat Sports

Ngannou chose not to re-sign with the UFC last year, relinquishing his heavyweight title after sitting out for a year due to disagreements over a restructured contract, plus nursing an injury.

(Exclusive) UFC Legend Randy Couture on Francis Ngannou's Future after PFL Debut
Jan 22, 2022; Anaheim, California, USA; Francis Ngannou leaves the octagon after the win against Ciryl Gane during UFC 270 at Honda Center. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

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Although the fight between him and UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones will likely never happen, Couture told MMA Knockout's Zain Bando that Ngannou, fresh off a TKO-victory against Renan Ferreira last month, can make the best decisions for himself moving forward.

According to Couture, who dealt with the UFC brass when he was on top of the division over a decade ago, Ngannou has more leverage than ever before.

"That's a really, really good question," Couture said Nov. 5. "After everything that Francis has faced in his life, and certainly in this last year, it's one that only he can answer. We can speculate all we want. Francis hasn't come back to the gym yet since the fight with Renan Ferreira. We haven't really sat down. I know he hasn't really conferred with Eric Nicksick, who's his head coach, or Dewey Cooper. As far as I know, his goals are where he wants to go. I know we're launching PFL Africa, and he will be the chairman of that company, that feeder program and that regional program. I know that's something he's very excited about. Seeing opportunities developed and the infrastructure developed in Africa for other fighters just like him, they don't have to go through all the things that he went through to get where he's at right now."

Couture stated that no matter what path Ngannou decides to pursue, fans will continue to support his combat endeavors.

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"He's certainly firing on all cylinders physically and technically as a fighter, whether he chooses to go back into boxing and continue to chase that dream, which was, you know, that's exactly what that was," Couture said. "It was it was always a dream of his to be in boxing. Somehow he ended up in MMA. MMA has been pretty good to him. So that's a real question. Is he going to go back and try some some more boxing, or is he going to stick with MMA and continue to garner his legacy in the MMA world? Those are questions that unfortunately, only Francis can answer. And I'm sure at some point we'll get a clear idea of where Francis's heart and head are at."

For now, only time will tell.

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Zain Bando
ZAIN BANDO

Zain Bando is a writer for MMA Knockout, part of the Sports Illustrated/Minute Media umbrella. He has covered combat sports since 2019 for notable outlets BJPenn.com and FanSided MMA. He also co-hosts a podcast called "The MMA Outsiders," part of the Empty The Bench Podcast Network, which airs Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT. A Chicago suburban native, Bando has been enthralled with MMA since 2006 and has been fortunate to attend some of the most high-profile events in the sport's history, both as a fan and media member, including UFC 264, Bellator 297 and Kayla Harrison's PFL MMA debut. He is excited to take the next step in his combat sports writing journey and looks forward to continuing his following of the fight game for years to come. Bando can be reached via email at zainbando99@gmail.com or by social media @zainbando99

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