Francis Ngannou recently opened up about his former boxing opponents. Ngannou highlighted the major difference between fights against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.
Ngannou surprised the entire mixed martial arts community by becoming the first reigning UFC champion to depart the organization since B.J. Penn in 2004. He then signed a deal with the PFL, where he now holds an executive position and is also permitted to box professionally.
In his first professional fight since leaving the UFC, Ngannou went the distance with Fury and delivered an admirable performance. The last time Ngannou was seen competing was in a devastating second-round knockout loss against Joshua in Riyadh earlier this year.
In a recent interview with Mirror Fighting, Ngannou expressed his thoughts on the Fury and Joshua fights. ‘The Predator’ also detailed the key differences between fighting the two British heavyweights, saying:
”It depends on which aspect. As far as the fight itself is concerned, I learned more from the Tyson Fury fight but from the business and organisation side I learned more from the Anthony Joshua fight. It was a different experience. But in every fight, you know it can happen. You know… it’s like going to war, you shoot people but some day you can take a bullet.” [H/t: Mirror]
However, Ngannou isn’t finished with the squared circle. The prospect of taking on the former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder appeals to the former UFC heavyweight champion.
In an interview with talkSport, Ngannou expressed his interest in facing Wilder. However, the Cameroonian quickly brushed aside ‘The Bronze Bomber’s chances in the MMA, saying:
“[I’d like to face him] In pure boxing. Don’t be delusional here, that is where we both stand a chance… If we go like mixed martial arts, only one man stands a chance… A fight is never too easy, but [it will be] close to too easy.”
Check out Francis Ngannou’s comments below (via Championship Rounds on X):
Francis Ngannou expresses interest in a fight against Deontay Wilder 👀
“Don’t be delusional here, [boxing] is where we will both stand a chance.”
🎥 @talkSPORT #MMA #Boxing pic.twitter.com/YvnechkENg
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) August 24, 2024
Francis Ngannou acknowledges Renan Ferreira’s fighting ability
Francis Ngannou, who hasn’t competed in MMA since his unanimous decision victory over Ciryl Gane at UFC 270, is set to return in a heavyweight showdown against 2023 PFL heavyweight champion Renan Ferreira at PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants on Oct. 19 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
In the aforementioned interview with Mirror Fighting, Ngannou praised Ferreira, saying:
”[Renan] is a very good fighter; he has very good attributes as a fighter. He has very good speed, fast hands and he is very athletic.”