Despite his best efforts to keep them quiet, Eddie Hearn has been negotiating with one of the biggest stars in combat sports about working together.
Dealing with Anthony Joshua and Canelo Alvarez on a regular basis, Hearn is no stranger to rubbing shoulders with superstar fighters.
And Hearn confirmed to ESBR Boxing that former UFC world champion Francis Ngannou could be very well be added to that list in the not too distant future.
“Yeah, I kept it quiet – which is unusual for me. We a had great meeting in Vegas with Francis, what a great guy.”
“Obviously he’s got a huge future in whatever he does. He wants the fight with Anthony Joshua and we’ve had talks.”
“We’ll see what’s next for ‘AJ’ once he comes through Franklin,, all being well, and I’ll keep talking to Mr Ngannou.”
“We had a good chat, and I think there’s a good chance we’ll work together.”
Ngannou became a free agent after parting ways with the UFC in January, after being unable to resolve a dispute with the company over fighter pay and healthcare concerns.
Although also linked to other MMA organisations such as the PFL, most observers believed ‘The Predator’ would switch codes and chase lucrative fights in the world of boxing.
Ngannou had actually been slightly more fervently linked to a fight with Tyson Fury over Joshua, with many believing he could get the call if Fury was unable to agree terms for an undisputed clash with Oleksandr Usyk in April.
However, judging by Hearn’s comments this weekend, it appears Anthony Joshua is favourite to land the money spinning fight with one of the biggest names in the world of sport.