Francis Ngannou (0-2, 0 KOs) moved away from his MMA background to face Tyson Fury on October 28, 2023, shedding a slender break up resolution to “The Gypsy King.” The Cameroonian fighter memorably knocked down Fury, and regardless of shedding earned loads of plaudits. His second foray into boxing noticed him brutally knocked out by Anthony Joshua. The MMA legend has spoken to Sportsbook Evaluate about his return to boxing and the opponent he needs to face.
Francis Ngannou Targets Large-Identify Opponent for Boxing Return
Francis Ngannou Talks Boxing Return
Ngannou regardless of shedding each of his fights within the boxing world, has made his mark competing in two enormous occasions. Since his loss to AJ, Ngannou returned to MMA to defeat Renan Ferreira on his PFL debut, however has his eyes firmly set on a return to the boxing ring, telling Sportsbook Evaluate: “I’ll do boxing subsequent.” “I need to. I’m not accomplished with boxing. It’s not that MMA is simple – it’s the game that I perceive higher and I have extra expertise in – however I say go for boxing.”
The 38-year-old seemingly solely has curiosity in going through the largest names, setting his sights on an ex-world champion: “(I’m captivated with combating Deontay Wilder) as a result of there’s an 80% probability that any individual will fall asleep,” mentioned the Cameroonian. “Will probably be one or the opposite.”
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Regardless of Wilder shedding his final two fights, the hazard of combating him will not be misplaced on Ngannou: “Perhaps not in his previous two fights, however Deontay Wilder is named a man that knocks everyone out or tries to knock you out,” Ngannou mentioned.
Speaking about ego and punching energy, the Batie native mentioned: “I’m going towards that man, and I myself can knock somebody out. Deep inside me there’s a little little bit of ego, like I do know I hit tougher.
“I’m saying from my expertise that we are going to have that ego that we each need to show ‘no, it’s me (who hits tougher). Who’s the largest hitter between you and Deontay? These kinds of conversations are popping round just a little bit and regardless that you assume you don’t care about it, it sticks someplace in your thoughts.”
Doubting Deontay and Boxing Future
Wilder has misplaced 4 out of his final 5 fights, and it stays to be seen if he can return to a excessive stage in boxing. Francis Ngannou himself has been written off and has returned to top-level fight sports activities and is seemingly reluctant to miss the remaining capacity of “The Bronze Bomber.“
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“That’s what they mentioned about me again in 2018,” he mentioned. “I used to be simply getting began. With this sport, there are ups and downs. For some motive if you end up in your downs, folks at all times discover some state of affairs like, ‘He’s accomplished, he’s outdated, he wasn’t what he thought he was.’
“I heard the identical factor about me again in 2018, lengthy time earlier than I even grew to become a champion,” mentioned Ngannou.
A timeframe for Ngannou’s boxing return and a possible combat towards Wilder stays unclear, but it surely seems solely enormous fights are on the desk for the 38-year-old: “We didn’t have that chance (to plan my future) however we exchanged phrases clearly about that,” Ngannou mentioned relating to his latest discussions with Riyadh Season.
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“(Saudi Arabian Royal Court docket adviser) Turki Alalshikh mentioned he was engaged on one thing huge for me this yr. He mentioned we now have to do one thing huge – both Jon Jones or Wilder. That’s what he advised me personally.”
