Francis Ngannou will be back in the UFC given "the way he is moving," predicts former coach

Francis Ngannou shocked the world of MMA when he announced his departure from the UFC earlier this year. While his next career move is a subject of discussion, it seems he is gearing up for his long-desired boxing debut. However, his former longtime coach Fernand Lopez opines that the Cameroonian will eventually re-sign with the UFC.

After parting ways with the promotion, 'The Predator' has been linked to several high-profile boxers like Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder, and Anthony Joshua. While there is no solid confirmation of any matchups materializing, Francis Ngannou generated enough hype to make any of those fights draw a large number of eyeballs.

While there have been rumors of him signing with other MMA promotions like PFL, Bellator, and BKFC, Ngannou's former coach Fernand Lopez recently shared his thoughts on the 36-year-old Cameroonian's next career move.

In an interview with MMA Junkie, the head coach of The MMA Factory stated:

"I am sure he is coming back to the UFC. I am pretty sure he is coming back to the UFC. Francis didn't use any 'No Way Back' wall... I can tell the way he is moving, we'll see him back in MMA. I think he will have one or two shots in boxing... and then come back to MMA and probably the UFC."

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Francis Ngannou Next Fight: Jake Paul wants 'The Predator' to sign with the PFL

Since UFC's former heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou walked out of the organization, many other MMA promotions have reached out to the Cameroonian in hopes of signing him. One is the Professional Fighters League (PFL), which also recently signed Jake Paul. Recently, the former Disney star also opined that he doesn't see a better option than the PFL for Ngannou's future fights.

In a recent interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, the YouTuber-turned-boxer revealed he was in talks to bring Francis Ngannou into the PFL. He stated:

"I think that's the best thing for him, honestly. I don't think there's a better place for him than the PFL. Working with those guys, working with my team, there's massive things that we could do. We've been in talks and he knows what we have to offer and we'll respect him and appreciate him no matter what, but we're here and ready to work."

While many MMA organizations would love to have Ngannou on their roster, he seems eager to venture into the sport of boxing first. 'The Predator' currently has open offers from Deontay Wilder, Tyson Fury, and Anthony Joshua.