Francis Ngannou has agreed to the terms set by Tyson Fury for their proposed mixed-rules fight.
'The Predator' has long been eyeing an appearance in the boxing ring, having failed to agree a new deal which saw him vacate his UFC title and part ways with the promotion. Since the announcement, Ngannou has received a multitude of offers including boxing fights with Anthony Joshua, Derek Chisora and the 'Gypsy King'.
Ngannou regularly campaigned for a shot at Fury while still signed to the UFC banner, jumping in the ring to confront the Briton following his win over Dillian Whyte last April. Last month, Fury decided to renew his offer for a boxing clash proposing a new set of rules.
He tweeted, with green ticks by each rule: "4oz gloves, cage, Mike Tyson as referee, Queensberry rules. What else? - Baddest Man on the Planet." Ngannou has previously claimed he would be open to competing under full boxing rules but stated his preferred route would see the pair compete in MMA gloves within a cage.
Despite Fury's recent offer, a fight between the pair seems unlikely until the end of the year, given the boxing champion's potential fight with Oleksandr Usyk before potentially being required to defend any titles against Joe Joyce and Daniel Dubois if he wins in their expected April showdown.
Ngannou's constant social media exchanges with Fury teasing a potential clash appeared to be one of the reasons why he elected to leave the UFC, given he eyed a lucrative boxing fight after being left unhappy with his financial reward. The Cameroon star has frequently stated his ambitions to step in the squared circle, and has even proposed alternative clashes with Joshua and Deontay Wilder.
Who wins if the pair meet in a mixed-rules fight - Tyson Fury or Francis Ngannou? Let us know in the comments section below
Official talks have yet to begin between the pair over a potential match-up but Ngannou has suggested he has reached out to Fury's representatives in a bid to understand when he might be available to fight. “I’ve talked to somebody, some of [ Tyson Fury's] advisors, but they’re working on a fight with [Oleksandr] Usyk in April,” Ngannou told TMZ Sports.
“So, until then, he will not be free. But I’m trying to see if we can have an agreement before that fight. That will also give me some time to get prepared for a boxing fight. So I have no problem with the timeline that I’m expecting, that I hope will be sometime in June, July, which is doable. So let’s see. I think it’s too early to make a conclusion.
"It’s too early to say anything about it but it’s definitely something that we’re looking into. We’ve been talking about this fight the past two years. A little over two years. I think at this point, the people are waiting for this fight and talking about this fight more than the Joshua fight, although the Joshua fight is still a massive fight."
