Former UFC heavyweight champion turned ranked WBC skilled boxer Francis Ngannou plans to struggle two boxing matches this yr and can seemingly not compete in blended martial arts.
Ngannou formally left the UFC one yr in the past after failing to return to phrases throughout contract negotiations. After leaving the struggle promotion, Ngannou inked a deal to field lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury final October. After knocking Fury down early within the bout, Ngannou misplaced through break up resolution.
Final week, it was introduced that Ngannou had signed a struggle contract to face former two-time lineal heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in March. Whatever the end result, Ngannou expects to face Fury in a rematch this fall.
“There’s at all times been speak about that (a Fury rematch). At all times. Even after the struggle, the minister stepped contained in the octagon (ring) and stated, ‘Prepare for the rematch.’
“It should occur,” Ngannou advised The MMA Hour. “There’s Fury and [Oleksandr] Usyk after which we spoke about it. There’s Fury and Usyk happening. This was like a chance. I used to be ready for Fury, however this was a chance that I used to be glad to take. And on the finish of the day, this would possibly not take something away from the Fury rematch.”
“Our rematch time period was in a single yr, inside one yr, which goes to be October this yr,” Ngannou defined.
Whereas he plans to field twice this yr, Ngannou is beneath contract with the Skilled Fighters League (PFL) for his MMA profession. He was signed final Could however has but to compete.
“Once I obtained a name and a suggestion and proposal for this struggle, what occurred is I reached out to the PFL to inform them as a result of we’re within the enterprise collectively. They gave me the blessing for the chance,” stated Ngannou.
So far as preventing in MMA this yr, Ngannou stated, “As I stated, even earlier than this struggle, nothing was sure but,” and there is ‘an opportunity’ he’ll solely field in 2024.