It’s official! Francis Ngannou has vacated his position as the UFC Heavyweight Champion and shifted his focus toward the sport of boxing. Is he looking to slowly ease his way into the sport? No, he’s not. In fact, he has already set his sights on fighting for the heavyweight crown.
On April 23, 2022, Francis Ngannou was sitting ringside when Tyson Fury stopped Dillian Whyte in the sixth round. After the fight concluded, the then-UFC Heavyweight Champion stepped into the ring and called for a boxing match with Fury. At the time, it appeared Fury was interested in the opportunity. Nearly a full year later, it appears that he is still interested in the fight.
Ngannou recently caught up with the TMZ Sports team and discussed his boxing endeavors. Most notably, he said that he’s been in contact with a few of Tyson Fury’s representatives.
“I have talked to somebody, some of his advisors,” Ngannou said, per MMA Junkie.
“They are working on a fight with (Oleksandr) Usyk on April. So, until then, he will not be free. But I’m just trying to see if we can have an agreement before that fight.”
Ngannou isn’t necessarily bothered by the wait. Instead, he plans to use the time to get in boxing shape and potentially pursue a fight in June or July.
“That will also give me time to get prepared for a boxing fight,” he said.
“So, I have no problem with that timeline that I’m hoping, I’m expecting, will be sometime in June, July, which is doable.”
