Francis Ngannou is a free agent no extra.
It emerged early on Tuesday that the previous UFC heavyweight champion had inked a deal to symbolize the Skilled Fighters League (PFL) within the continuance of his MMA, bringing to an in depth one of the vital excessive profile free company intervals in combined martial arts historical past. Nevertheless, it was famous within the preliminary report by the New York Instances that Ngannou shouldn’t be anticipated to make his return to MMA till someday in the course of 2024, and that he’ll seemingly compete in an expert boxing match someday later this yr.
And whereas Ngannou has been tentatively linked to a number of massive names within the boxing area, he advised The DAZN MMA Show on Tuesday that there’s one boxer who appears to be standing out from the group in the meanwhile.
“Anthony Joshua is a struggle we like,” Ngannou stated. “We spoke with Eddie [Hearn] as soon as however that was when Joshua was about to struggle Franklin. If we carry this to Africa then it will be large. I believe this may get him excited, that he can struggle on this continent.”
The timeline for Ngannou’s professional boxing debut stays unclear, and particularly so in a sport so typically mired by difficulties in pairing a few of its high names collectively within the ring. As he famous, Ngannou has held discussions with Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn — however the Briton seems on observe to field Deontay Wilder in Saudi Arabia late this yr, maybe with a bout in opposition to Dillian Whyte coming earlier than that.
Nevertheless, one wonders if a blockbuster showdown between Ngannou and Joshua on the continent of Africa may probably fast-track affairs, significantly given Joshua’s regularly-stated ambition of competing there earlier than he hangs up his gloves.
However earlier than any of that, Ngannou and his crew should navigate the hindrances which appear to be built-in to the game of boxing with a purpose to obtain a bout of the magnitude he wishes. And one suspects that this specific struggle to take action is simply starting.
