With Francis Ngannou free and clear to explore super fights outside of the UFC, many eyes have fallen on Tyson Fury.
The WBC heavyweight champion has, in the past, been open to a crossover bout with Ngannou – because he loves nothing more than a spectacle – and he’s reignited those talks now that it’s actually feasible.
Ngannou chose not to renew his contract with Dana White’s UFC, and is now exploring his options as to where he might end up next – the octagon or the ring.
Whatever he decides to do, he has an opponent in Fury. ‘The Gypsy King’ told Seconds Out he would face the former MMA heavyweight champion in the UK or the US, and laid out his terms.
“Francis Ngannou – I know you’re out of contract with the UFC. You want to earn some big boy money? Come see ‘The Gypsy King’ and let’s do a big, big fight for the baddest MF on the planet.
And let’s kick it up spicy, in a cage, 4oz gloves, under Queensberry – and let’s have a bad ass referee like ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson.”
The immediate response by boxing fans will be ‘what of the undisputed fight with Oleksandr Usyk?’ It seems that Fury isn’t counting that out just yet, but it looks like he’s getting itchy feet as he waits on a contract.
“If the contract doesn’t get signed with Usyk next for the fight of the century in boxing, then we’ll do the Ngannou fight. Whether it’s going to be in Las Vegas or Wembley, who knows. We will know quite soon I think.
Because if these fellas don’t come and sign the contract for the biggest fight of the century then we’re moving on to greener pastures.”
Despite not being delivered on the original timeframe, the Fury-Usyk bout still does look likely.