Francis Ngannou shares how many times he's likely to fight before retirement, names preference for next opponent

Francis Ngannou's next fight has been a topic of conversation ever since he dragged Tyson Fury to a split-decision war in their October 28 boxing match. In particular, fans have wondered whether 'The Predator' will continue to pursue boxing matches or make a grand return to MMA next.

Given that he's signed to the PFL and contractually obligated to fight in MMA at some point, he's guaranteed to debut in the promotion's SmartCage. While details on his next bout are scarce, Francis Ngannou has revealed some of his plans on the Last Stand Podcast.

Ngannou stated that he has several fights left, around eight of them. When asked if he'd only fight top-level boxers or if he'd be willing to take on the likes of Derek Chisora, he said:

"I would fight... I prefer to only fight the top four fighters."

Furthermore, he singled out Deontay Wilder as his preferred target, given their history, when asked who he'd rather face between 'The Bronze Bomber' and Anthony Joshua:

Additionally, when asked by the interviewer how many fights he has left, Ngannou answered:

"Around eight."

See the full episode below:

A boxing match with Deontay Wilder appears to be the most realistic option, especially given that his alternatives are seemingly Anthony Joshua and Derek Chisora.

Thus far, Francis Ngannou has shown little interest in boxing Anthony Joshua, while Derek Chisora is on the decline and 2-4 in his last six fights.

As far as MMA is concerned, nothing is certain, but the PFL does not seem to be in a hurry to book Ngannou for a fight. Per the words of founder Donn Davis, the promotion recognizes that its heavyweight division is lacking in any compelling opponents for Ngannou.

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Francis Ngannou's last UFC win streak

Before Francis Ngannou's shock departure from the UFC, he was the promotion's heavyweight champion and had successfully defended his title against then-interim champion Ciryl Gane.

His exit from the promotion marked the end of one of the division's most impressive win streaks.

After losing to Derrick Lewis in a widely criticized bout, 'The Predator' went on a tear, knocking out his next five opponents, which consisted of two former heavyweight champions in Junior dos Santos and Cain Velasquez, as well as then-reigning heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic.

The other two were top contenders in Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Curtis Blaydes, before he unified the divisional titles by defeating interim champ Ciryl Gane via unanimous decision.