Eddie Hearn, promoter of former two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, says his boxer had no interest in facing Francis Ngannou in a boxing match.
Ngannou is scheduled to face WBC champion Tyson Fury in a non-title bout on October 28 in Saudi Arabia.
Hearn had been approached by Ngannou, a former UFC heavyweight champion, to discuss the scenario of facing Joshua.
When Hearn brought the opportunity to the British star, he had no interest in the match.
“Absolutely no interest at all. [He told me] ‘I want to become heavyweight world champion again, I’ve got no interest in fighting Francis Ngannou.’ Francis Ngannou came to me, we had a very nice meeting and he’s got a great story,” Hearn told Talk Sport.
“He came to me because he wanted to fight Anthony Joshua. I went straight to AJ, I’ve said ‘look it’s a bit of a left-field one’ and don’t forget Anthony Joshua is not a world champion and didn’t have a shot at the world championship.”
Joshua is set to face Dillian Whyte in a rematch on August 12 at the O2 Arena in London.
While Hearn is not a fan of the Fury vs. Ngannou encounter, he understands why it’s happening.
“I get it,” Hearn said. “I’m not going to sit here and go ‘oh it’s a disgrace’. They’re taking the money! We all love a pound note but let’s not dress it up with ‘I’m not about the money, I don’t care, I’m not about the flash cars, I’m not about this, I’m not about that’.
“Let’s just say it for how it is ‘I couldn’t make one of those fights, didn’t quite fancy Oleksandr Usyk so I’m going to make 30 million to fight someone who’s never had a fight before’. Pay him the money and we’ll chat later.”