UFC sensation Francis Ngannou has well and truly announced himself to the world of boxing after an impressive performance against Tyson Fury. Now, the Cameroonian is eyeing up his next challenge.
Ngannou dropped Fury in the third-round of their bout, which he was expected to lose convicingly, before being on the wrong end of a tight split-decision defeat to ‘The Gypsy King’.
Despite the loss, Ngannou’s performance has seen him gain newfound respect from the boxing community and even a top ten ranking with the WBC, a move that has divided opinion amongst fans and other contenders in the division.
In an interview with Club Shay Shay, Ngannou discussed a potential ‘Rumble in the Jungle 2’ showdown with Anthony Joshua, warning ‘AJ’ that knocking him out is harder than he thinks after Eddie Hearn said his man would stop Ngannou inside three rounds.
“Of course, I am willing to fight him.”
“Even Tyson Fury said the same thing [that he would knock me out] and Tyson Fury is better than Anthony Joshua. So what do I care about what people say?
“I’ve been in this game for so long, I have seen so much and I have heard so much about what people intend to do [to me]. There is a difference between wanting to do and being able to do.”
Regardless of the speculation, Joshua is tied up and scheduled to face Otto Wallin on December 23 before he is expected to take on either Filip Hrgovic or Deontay Wilder in early 2024.
Meanwhile, Ngannou is likely to return to the ring at a similar time, with Zhilei Zhang and Derek Chisora both interested in ‘The Predator’s’ second professional outing but a return to MMA more likely at this stage.
