UFC Fighter Turned BKFC Brawler Todd Duffee Wants to be the first to fight Francis Ngannou in PFL
Ex-UFC heavyweight standout Todd Duffee would love to be a part of the Professional Fighter’s League, especially if it means scoring an opportunity to welcome Francis Ngannou back to MMA.
With ‘The Predator’ expected to make his debut inside the PFL Smart Cage in 2024, heavyweights from far and wide are throwing their names into the hat of potential opponents for the former UFC heavyweight champion. Duffee, who currently calls the BKFC home, would love the opportunity to be Ngannou’s first opponent.
“Oh, yeah, I’d love to, and I think they would give me that opportunity, too,” Duffee told MMA Junkie Radio when asked about a potential fight against Ngannou. “I would love to do that. It’s a fun, exciting fight.
“I do think they have a lot of sexy matchups, but I love heavyweight fights, so maybe I see it differently. Both guys that fought last weekend would be amazing matchups for him. I think that in general, PFL has a good roster of heavyweights I would love to see Francis fight. But yeah, please sign me up for that fight. Everybody wants that fight” (h/t MMA Junkie).
Whether or Not He Gets Ngannou, Todd Duffee Would Love to Compete for the PFL
Duffee was scheduled for a return to action at BKFC 56 on Saturday night, but his scheduled opponent, Ben Rothwell, was forced to withdraw from the contest due to illness. The bout has since been rescheduled for February.
Even if he doesn’t win the Francis Ngannou lottery, Duffee would still take advantage of the opportunity to be a part of the PFL.
“The tournament is the best because you know it doesn’t matter if you’re hurt and stuff like that, even that gets removed from your head a lot easier,” Duffee said. “I think tournaments are the coolest thing, for sure. If you can fight month after month, it’s the most beautiful thing in a guys’ career.”
Duffee went 3-2 under the UFC banner with one no-contest. He earned victories over Tim Hague, Phil De Fries, and Anthony Hamilton before exiting the promotion following a loss against former titleholder Frank Mir.
