Francis Ngannou's boxing aspirations are no secret, as the former UFC champion had dreams of becoming a professional boxer before he began his MMA career. With UFC CEO Dana White having announced that he will run a new boxing league started by Turki Alalshikh and the TKO Group Holdings, Ngannou's coach recently teased about their participation in the league.
Following his departure from the UFC in 2022, 'The Predator' was acquired by a growing MMA promotion, the Professional Fighters' League (PFL).
Part of Ngannou's deal with the PFL saw him allowed to explore the world of professional boxing. The heavyweight MMA fighter competed in two mega fights against former champions Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, which unfortunately came in a losing cause.
The Cameroonian found great success against Fury, with many believing him to have defeated 'The Gypsy King' on the scorecards. He lost his bout against Joshua via knockout, but Ngannou has remained open to competing in boxing once again.
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However, given White's well-known dislike of 'The Predator', it is highly unlikely that the former UFC champion will compete in the TKO boxing league.
Eric Nicksick, who has worked as Ngannou's coach for over five years, said this during a recent episode of the Versu Us with Eric Nicksick podcast:
"Francis getting back in the fold, or what? What's going on?" [1:13:58-1:14:02]
Check out Eric Nicksick joking about Francis Ngannou boxing in the TKO league below:
Francis Ngannou revisits his mindset entering his boxing match with Tyson Fury
Francis Ngannou took on Tyson Fury on Oct. 28, 2023 in a much-anticipated event. With 'The Predator' being labeled as arguably the scariest puncher in all of combat sports, fans were eager to see how the then-WBC heavyweight champion would contend with Ngannou.
The MMA fighter's performance left fans and pundits stunned as he held his own against Fury for all twelve rounds, dropping the WBC champion with a massive left-hook that sent combat sports fans crazy.
During a recent interview with The Ring, Ngannou revisited his mindset ahead of facing 'The Gypsy King', saying:
"I have my ego as a man that says, 'Ok, I'm fighting another man, and I have the capability to win'. But at the same time I'm like, 'It's my first boxing match'. I'm there questioning myself if I can go through three or four rounds, if I can get there, I'd never been there in my life I'm getting to the end of my career."
Check out Francis Ngannou's comments below (13:45):