UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou is focused on a fight with boxing world champion Tyson Fury but doesn’t want to book it alone.
Fury announced his retirement from professional boxing last weekend following a knockout win over Dillian Whyte. Just minutes after the fight, his attention turned to a future fight with Ngannou, as they spoke about during a joint interview with ESPN.
Ngannou underwent knee surgery following his win over Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 in January. He recently pointed to either November or December for his return to fighting.
Things between Ngannou and the UFC brass have been icey over the past few years. Ngannou has been a vocal critic of the UFC’s pay structure and hasn’t shied away about his demands for a new, more fair contract.
During a recent interview on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Ngannou explained why he’d prefer to have the UFC’s blessing for a fight with Fury rather than working on his own.
“Well, I think the UFC is a great promotion, and I want to keep fighting,” Ngannou said. “Tyson Fury is not my last fight. I want to keep fighting. After Tyson Fury, there’s still a lot of fights out there. There’s Jon Jones, there’s Stipe [Miocic], a trilogy with Stipe, there’s some big fights I can do in the UFC, and I’d really like that to happen. I’d really like for us to get to a common point.
“Yes, I can do a Tyson Fury fight on my own, but what next? I would like to keep fighting, I’d like for us to come to an agreement, but for that, they have to have a good understanding of this situation.”
Ngannou and Fury have casually discussed a 2023 timetable for a fight between them. They’ve hinted at a special rule set that may include boxing in MMA gloves.
If Ngannou and the UFC come to terms on a new and revised contract, it sounds like the Fury fight would need to be a part of the negotiations.
Are you excited about a potential Francis Ngannou vs. Tyson Fury crossover fight?
Continue Reading Francis Ngannou Explains Desire To Have Fury Fight On UFC Deal at MMA News.