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Francis Ngannou recently stunned the MMA world by opting against a contract renewal with the UFC. His dispute with the promotion and Dana White has been widely documented and at the core of their issues has always been the Cameroonian's desire to box.
Unfortunately, the UFC has only ever afforded Conor McGregor that luxury. The Irishman faced Floyd Mayweather Jr. in one of the most lucrative boxing matches of all time. Even Anderson Silva, a UFC legend, was kept from boxing Roy Jones Jr. during the Brazilian's peak.
Francis Ngannou has been vocal about his desire to box. Not long ago, he made a post-fight appearance inside the squared circle alongside Tyson Fury. Since then, a boxing match between the two has been a topic of interest. 'The Predator' is pursuing this matchup, but this list details why this would be a mistake on his part.
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#5. Francis Ngannou doesn't have the cardio to box against Tyson Fury
Francis Ngannou has only ever fought five rounds twice. In his first attempt at competing in a five-round fight, he gassed out horribly against Stipe Miocic. The second came against Ciryl Gane, in a bout where Ngannou's cardio came into question, albeit after a grueling fight that saw him wrestle Gane to a decision.
While the Cameroonian power-puncher can certainly pace himself to perform well, he doesn't have five-round cardio, much less twelve-round cardio. He has always struggled when his opponents dictate the pace of their bouts. This will be an enormous advantage for Tyson Fury.
'The Gypsy King' is five inches taller than the former UFC heavyweight champion. He is a much bigger fighter who often tires his opponents out by clinching them and forcing them to carry his bodyweight throughout the fight. If he does this against 'The Predator', he'll surely exhaust him.
If he is able to render Deontay Wilder, who is a more experienced boxer than Francis Ngannou with better cardio, toothless by doing so, the Cameroonian won't fare well.
#4. Francis Ngannou is too inexperienced to box Tyson Fury
MMA is not boxing. It is a completely different combat sport. While there are elements that MMA borrows from boxing, the two are not the same due to their rulesets. Boxers cannot box in MMA the same way that they box in the cage. Anyone who uses a traditional boxing stance in MMA is susceptible to a variety of attacks, like low kicks or takedowns. Francis Ngannou is accustomed to boxing in a setting where he must be wary of other threats, and ultimately, is unfamiliar with the sweet science.
Unfortunately, this means he won't be as effective in the boxing ring. For example, he can't land his exaggerated uppercuts since there are no exaggerated level changes in boxing. Additionally, 'The Predator' is almost exclusively a headhunter who rarely attacks the body.
The simplicity of his boxing will render him easy prey for Tyson Fury. He is not the first brutal knockout artist that 'The Gypsy King' has outboxed, he is simply the least skilled in terms of boxing. There is almost zero chance that 'The Predator' will win.
#3. A loss will damage MMA's reputation and Francis Ngannou's starpower
Francis Ngannou is not Conor McGregor. The Irishman has cultivated such a rabid fanbase that even a losing streak isn't enough to dwindle his appeal as a PPV draw. The same cannot be said for 'The Predator'. His main selling point outside the UFC is that he is a former UFC heavyweight champion.
The other half of his main selling point is his knockout power. The only reason 'The Gypsy King' wants to fight him is so that he can claim to have beaten the UFC heavyweight champion. If Francis Ngannou steps inside the squared circle with Tyson Fury and loses, it will be yet another MMA fighter looking inferior to a boxer.
This undercuts the overall point of MMA fighters being more well-rounded or effective than boxers. Casual fans won't consider that Ngannou would be out of his element due to the fact that all of his knockouts have come from punches. The Cameroonian rarely throws kicks. Additionally, this also makes MMA look like the b-side.
MMA fighters are always the ones who venture into the boxing world and never vice versa, with the exception of Claressa Shields. After 'The Predator' loses to 'The Gypsy King', he will be coming off a loss and his market value will be diminished.
#2. Francis Ngannou has no direction afterwards
Even if 'The Predator' manages to secure a boxing match against Tyson Fury, he may very well be in no man's land after the bout's conclusion. With the odds stacked against him, he is unlikely to defeat Fury.
Furthermore, there is no clear path for him. Will he ply his trade in the PFL like he teased on social media or will he debut in another promotion like Bellator or ONE Championship?
The Cameroonian power-puncher's market value will decrease after a loss, therefore leaving him with less bargaining power. With no clear path in future, it remains to be seen what options Ngannou will have, irrespective of the outcome of a potential bout vs Fury.
#1. Francis Ngannou doesn't have a manager
Francis Ngannou is currently without a management team. During an interview with Ariel Helwani, he highlighted his confidence in his ability to represent himself. He claimed that since he knows what he wants, he can negotiate on his own. Unfortunately, this reveals some naiveté on the Cameroonian's part.
Boxing promoters are notoriously ruthless. In Ngannou's interview with Helwani, he revealed several troubling habits that could interfere with negotiations. He procrastinates answering important emails and leaves his phone turned off for hours.
Watch as Ngannou talks to Ariel Helwani on a potential bout vs Fury, managing himself, and much more.
Furthermore, he has no legal represenative, which could pose issues, considering that English is far from his first language. Boxing promoters will certainly take advantage of Ngannou having no manager to profit off of him while ensuring that they pay him as little as possible.
With no manager to advise him on the correct course of action, the former heavyweight champion might even cause the matchup to collapse if he pushes forward with unreasonable demands.
