Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou is interested in a boxing match now that he’s a free agent.
The 36-year old was released from the UFC this past weekend after failed negotiations with the company. Now, he can do whatever he wants, including a stint in boxing.
He was a guest on The MMA Hour, where he spoke about his desire to split his time between boxing and mixed martial arts.
“I want to achieve something in boxing and stay in MMA. I feel like I still have a lot to express, a lot to give to the sport of MMA. I discovered MMA later in my life and I feel like I still have some mileage to give in the sport. In a perfect world, I go out there, get some boxing matches, come back, get some MMA [fights]. Maybe switch again. I don’t know. Depends what will be the challenge out there. I think if I have the opportunity to fight all those top guys in boxing, I will take it.”
Francis Ngannou Has Not Been Shy About Fighting Boxing’s Elite
Last April, “The Predator” was in the boxing ring with champion Tyson Fury after his win over Dillian Whyte. The two heavyweights have exchanged words on social media surrounding a potential crossover event.
Ngannou named Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua as two potential opponents for his professional boxing debut. When asked about his return to combat sports, Ngannou hopes to fight by the first half of 2023.
“The latest would be July…at least twice a year. Go right this year,” Ngannou said. “My gut would say boxing… I’m working on it.”
The Cameroon native revealed that the UFC “didn’t want anything to do with boxing” during negotiations. Now, the current free agent will be able to have discussions with any promotion.