Francis Ngannou vs. Tyson Fury fight could potentially happen sooner than expected

Francis Ngannou's UFC exit was likely influenced by the promotion's reluctance to allow the Cameroonian to pursue boxing fights while still under contract. Now that Ngannou is officially a free agent, he is free to discuss a long-rumored fight against Tyson Fury, with both sides showing interest in the matchup.

Fury has been linked to a fight against Oleksandr Usyk for quite some time now. Bob Arum, Fury's promoter in the United States, has announced that the fight will most likely take place in the Middle East as the contract negotiations near completion. However, Ngannou seemed eager to reach an arrangement prior to Fury's fight against Usyk.

Check out Fury's reaction to Ngannou's exit from the UFC below:

'The Gypsy King' recently provided a major development in the potential Francis Ngannou vs. Tyson Fury fight. In an interview with GiveMeSport.com, Fury revealed his plans to fight Ngannou if a bout with Usyk cannot be secured:

"I’m hoping so [a fight with Francis Ngannou materializes]. I’m very much hoping so. Because if Usyk doesn’t happen like this month coming then I’m going to say right then let’s move on and do Francis Ngannou."

Fury added:

"And I’m looking to get big Francis in a cage with 4oz gloves on and throw down with him swinging some big bombs. It’s risky because Francis at one point was considered the biggest puncher in combat sports. So with 4oz gloves on all it takes is one punch and it’s all over.”

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Francis Ngannou claims Tyson Fury fight would be bigger than Fury vs. Anthony Joshua

Francis Ngannou has been prominently linked with a boxing match against WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury since the latter's win over Derek Chisora last year. Prior to this, Ngannou's contract with the UFC prevented him from entering into any official discussions with 'The Gypsy King'.

Now that Ngannou has been released from the UFC, 'The Predator' has claimed that he intends to pursue a fight against Fury, who has also been linked to bouts against Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua.

In a recent interview with TMZ Sports following his departure from the UFC, Ngannou asserted that a fight against Tyson Fury is a bigger draw than a potential matchup between the towering Mancunian and fellow Brit Anthony Joshua:

"I think at this point, the people are waiting for this fight and talking about this fight more than the Joshua fight, although the Joshua fight is still a massive fight. I would say both fights would be in the same magnitude of fight, but we are kind of advanced and willing to fight with Tyson Fury, and that looks like the way to go.”

Catch Ngannou's comments below: