Francis Ngannou came really close to stunning the boxing community on October 28, 2023, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Despite having no prior boxing experience, Ngannou relentlessly pressed and exchanged blows with the undefeated WBC heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury. Nevertheless, ‘The Gypsy King’ was able to secure a contentious split decision triumph, maintaining his unblemished record.
The decision sparked controversy, with a significant number of observers believing the Cameroonian had rightfully won, citing his knockdown of Fury. The times he managed to inflict damage with his formidable punches left Tyson with a black eye. ‘The Predator,’ who was making his debut against one of the most prominent current heavyweight champions, has certainly earned the respect of the boxing community all over the world.
While many believe that Ngannou will bid adieu to mixed martial arts after the kind of money he has made in his debut boxing match, this isn’t the case. The former UFC champion has recently revealed his plans for the future, and it seems he has MMA on his mind, at least for now.
“I might go to PFL, get some fights, and come back. It’s been almost 2 years since I last competed, so I think I should be back in 5–6 months and at least compete twice next year,” said Francis Ngannou on his YouTube channel. For those unaware, the heavyweight veteran has signed a deal with MMA promotion PFL after leaving UFC earlier in 2023.
Ngannou also feels that after such a close fight, a rematch with Tyson Fury might also be on the cards, but that will not happen anytime soon as the British boxer will first meet Oleksandr Usyk for an undisputed world heavyweight championship bout.
Francis Ngannou wants to fight Stipe Miocic
Francis Ngannou has now expressed his desire for a third fight with UFC legend Stipe Miocic, particularly with Jon Jones sidelined due to a torn pectoral muscle. Following his remarkable boxing debut against Tyson Fury on October 28, fans urged Ngannou to leverage his newfound bargaining leverage to persuade the UFC to grant him a shot at the lineal heavyweight championship.
I’ve been calling out Jones but I can take Stipe for the same occasion while waiting on JJ to get back. 🤷 https://t.co/3lluCdNgj5
— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) October 30, 2023
The fight that would have sold the most was the one between Ngannou and Jones, but that could never materialize. However, in a recent tweet, the former UFC champion expressed that he does not mind fighting Miocic in a trilogy fight too.
Miocic was originally set to square off against Jones on November 11 at UFC 295, but the matchup had to be called off due to Jones’ injury. The UFC is presently in the process of considering new dates for the fight, with a potential rescheduling in 2024.