Former boxing world champion Paulie Malignaggi believes Francis Ngannou should pursue a boxing match against Tyson Fury even if his chances of getting knocked out are high.
Fresh off his knockout win over Dillian Whyte, 'The Gypsy King' indicated that he's headed for retirement, but is still open to fighting Ngannou in some sort of hybrid rules match.
Malignaggi, on his personal YouTube channel, chimed in with his thoughts on the potential crossover showdown. According to the New Yorker:
"I think that's sort of a circus type of fight. Yes, Ngannou can punch. Yes, [let's be] respectful of the UFC champion Ngannou, but nonetheless, in a simple hand-to-hand fight – I know the UFC fans and the MMA fans will fall for the fact that, you know, 'Oh my goodness they might wear MMA gloves, Ngannou might win by knockout' – he's absolutely not gonna win by knockout. He's actually gonna get knocked out."
Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more
As far as Malignaggi is concerned, Ngannou stands no chance of beating Fury should they meet in the ring. However, he claimed to be on board with the idea as it would make him happy to see both heavyweight stars get paid. Malignaggi added that the sentiment is especially true for 'The Predator', whom he believes is being underpaid by "scumbag" Dana White and the UFC:
"It will make for a selling point and I think Ngannou is a solid fighter. Listen, he's been a terrific MMA champion in the UFC. But ultimately this will sort of be a showcase for Tyson Fury and they'll both make a lot of money and you're happy for both guys because Dana White's a scumbag and is not giving Ngannou what he deserves so Ngannou can get it somewhere else."
Check out Paulie Malignaggi's comments below:
Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou tease fans about their matchup
Francis Ngannou joined Tyson Fury in a joint post-fight interview to promote their apparent collaboration.
The British boxing superstar talked up the potential matchup as the best in boxing vs. the best in MMA. Meanwhile, Ngannou, who's currently recovering from a knee injury, said, "I want to find out who is the baddest motherf***er in the planet."
Ngannou also discussed some details of what he's cooking up with Fury. 'The Predator' said they'll be fighting under boxing rules, but with MMA gloves.