Tyson Fury says the interest is mutual.
With Francis Ngannou no longer on the UFC roster, Fury is giddy about the prospect of a match against MMA’s current “baddest man on the planet” – with some hybrid bout features.
“Francis Ngannou, I know you’re out of contract with the UFC,” Fury told SecondsOut Boxing on Saturday. “You want to earn some big boy money? Come and see ‘The Gypsy King’ and let’s do a big, big fight for the baddest MF on the planet. Let’s kick it up, spicy, in a cage, four-ounce gloves, under Queensberry, and let’s have a badass referee like ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson. Oh, did I just sell that to the world?'”
💢 @Tyson_Fury challenges MMA superstar @francis_ngannou to a battle in the cage, with @MikeTyson as referee!
🎥 https://t.co/CGkZOHEwwy#Boxing pic.twitter.com/iExRlRwRSI
— Seconds Out Boxing (@SecondsOutLive) January 21, 2023
In the days following official word of his UFC departure, Ngannou highlighted boxing as a likely next venture and mentioned Fury as an opponent atop his list of potential matchups.
The heavyweights previously angled for a fight in April when Fury called Ngannou into the ring following his April victory over Dillian Whyte. At that time, Ngannou was still under contract with the UFC, which made it impossible for serious business pursuit of the bout.
Contractual ties snipped, Ngannou is free to sign where he pleases. On the other hand, Fury is expected to potentially face Oleksandr Usyk in a highly-anticipated heavyweight showdown.
