Francis Ngannou is paving his path in combat sports.
One of the biggest fights of the year is right around the corner as Ngannou will return to action for the first time since January 2022 when he makes his professional boxing debut against Tyson Fury in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia next month (Sat., Oct. 28, 2023). It’s taken some time for Ngannou to get to this stage, but in the end, his dreams are coming true.
Before Ngannou reached a deal to face Fury, his budding mixed martial arts (MMA) rival and current Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Heavyweight champion, Jon Jones, also started to express his interest in facing Fury. Ultimately, nothing came of the chatter despite UFC President, Dana White’s, willingness to make the crossover match up happen. While no one, including “The Predator,” saw the curveball coming, he didn’t view it as a roadblock attempt.
“I don’t think Jon Jones is trying to take something from me,” Ngannou told media after a Tuesday (Sept. 26, 2023) open workout (h/t The Mac Life). “I think Jon Jones is just part of the system that I stood up against and that he at some point was trying to stand in my way until they weren’t in my way anymore.”
Ngannou’s last appearance in MMA saw him successfully defend his UFC title against Ciryl Gane, defeating the Frenchman via a unanimous decision. A knee injury prevented Ngannou from getting back in the Octagon at any point since and ultimately led to his departure as both sides failed to reach a new contract agreement. The Cameroonian is now under Professional Fighters League’s (PFL) banner and is expected to debut in early 2024. Until then, he’s a boxer.
“I see it more like two boxers,” Ngannou said. “I’m not training with an MMA mentality like I’m an MMA guy, I’m going out there to box and training as a boxer. I’m not seeing myself as an MMA guy so I hope you guys see me as a boxer.”