UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou is afraid of no man, even if that man is boxing’s heavyweight champion of the world, Tyson Fury.
The WBC and The Ring heavyweight boxing champion took to social media to ponder a potential cross-codes superfight with “The Predator” as he asked his two million followers, “Who would like to see me fight this beast boxing rules @ufc gloves?”
To ensure his message reached the right audience, he also tagged UFC president Dana White, as well as Ngannou himself.
Unsurprisingly, Ngannou replied.
“How about MMA rules with boxing gloves? I can do you that favour.”
Following that cheeky initial exchange, the conversation got a little more serious, as Fury laid out the financial benefits of Ngannou facing him in boxing.
“You want to come into my world calling me & Wilder out to (have) a boxing match,” he tweeted.
“What I can guarantee (is) you would be knocked out & also paid your highest purse to be so. So have a think.”
Ngannou, whose prodigious punch power has seen him demolish almost everyone he’s faced during his 19-fight MMA career, certainly seems to fancy his chances, and replied to suggest he’d be interested in exploring the possibility further.
“After I handle business on Jan. 22 I’ll fight you under any special rule set you want. In a ring, an octagon or a phone booth.”
After I handle business on Jan. 22 I’ll fight you under any special rule set you want. In a ring, an octagon or a phone booth. https://t.co/twRhBnFwwH
— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) January 6, 2022
Ngannou’s “business” on January 22 involves a UFC heavyweight title unification bout with former training partner Ciryl Gane at UFC 270.
Gane trains at the MMA Factory gym in Paris that gave Ngannou his start in mixed martial arts before the Cameroonian headed across the Atlantic to join up with coach Eric Nicksick at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas. Now he’s set to face his former training partner and former coach with the biggest prize in MMA – an undisputed UFC world title – on the line.
Fury, meanwhile, has a March 26 date pencilled in for his next bout with the WBC installing fellow Brit Dillian Whyte as the mandatory challenger for Fury’s title, but a deal between the two camps has not yet been struck.