Francis Ngannou doesn’t seem to be too pleased with the UFC’s interest in making a potential fight between Jon Jones and Tyson Fury. Over the past few weeks, Jones and Fury have been engaging in a back-and-forth exchange, with Fury initially expressing interest in a boxing match but later showing openness to a two-fight deal involving MMA. Fury even claimed that the UFC had sent him a contract for the fight.
While there may be some legitimacy to Fury’s comments, as UFC President Dana White has expressed willingness to make the fight if both parties agree, it appears to have irked Ngannou. The PFL heavyweight contender left the UFC in January, vacating the heavyweight title in the process. He had expressed interest in stepping into the boxing ring, with Tyson Fury being a potential opponent.
During his time in the UFC, Ngannou had repeatedly called for a boxing match against Fury, but Dana White had stated that such a bout would never happen. Ngannou believes that now that he is no longer with the UFC, the promotion is more willing to entertain the idea of cross-promoting with Fury.
In a recent media scrum, Ngannou expressed his thoughts on the situation, stating that the idea of Fury fighting in the cage was never considered when he was with the UFC. He believes that now that he is no longer the UFC heavyweight champion, everything is focused on finding ways to bring him down. However, Ngannou is confident in his stand-up skills and stated that he’ll be around for a while.
It’s clear that Ngannou feels overlooked or underestimated in the UFC’s recent discussions and potential matchups involving Fury and Jones. His departure from the promotion may have played a role in the shift in their approach, but Ngannou remains determined to make his mark in combat sports, whether it’s in MMA or potentially boxing.