Francis Ngannou wants to fight again in 2024 following Anthony Joshua clash, names potential opponent

Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou is set to feature in his second professional boxing outing this year against former heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua.

Ngannou will return to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he first took on Tyson Fury and surprised the world by going toe-to-toe with the lineal heavyweight champion. 'The Predator' also named the rematch against Fury as a potential second fight this year. 'The Gypsy King' will take on Oleksandr Usyk on Feb. 17.

“Yeah, there has always been talk about that. Always. I mean, even after the fight, the minister stepped in the octagon and he said, ‘Get ready for the rematch’. [So why didn’t it happen?] No, it’s going to happen. I mean, there is a Fury and Usyk, even then we spoke about it."

"There is a Fury [vs.] and Usyk going on, so this was like an opportunity. I was waiting for Fury but this was an opportunity that I was happy to take, I asked for. And at the end of the day, this won’t take anything from the Fury rematch.”

Ngannou then revealed that the term for their rematch is within a year and it will take place in October.

“No. No, it has never been right away. I think there is even a slight change that right away is the Usyk rematch, because I think they have like days – their term is even closer. Our rematch term is in one year, within one year. Which still gonna be October next year, I mean October this year.”

Check out Francis Ngannou's full comments in the clip below:

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Eddie Hearn believes Anthony Joshua will 'pick apart' Francis Ngannou

Anthony Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn previously remarked that his boxer will knock out Francis Ngannou and he is sticking by his comments.

In an interview with Ariel Helwani, Hearn maintained his belief that Joshua will get the better of Ngannou but also afforded 'The Predator' his due respect.

He said:

"You’ve heard me say before, I really believe AJ knocks him out. But he’s a dangerous fight. I know that this guy’s a big, big lump that can really punch, and I think he has no fear, which makes him dangerous. But I just feel like AJ’s in a great place, and I expect him to pick him apart and knock him out."

Hearn added:

"They’re taking this very seriously... Francis Ngannou is a very dangerous man, and they’ll be training, absolutely, with every ounce in their soul to be victorious."

Anthony Joshua had a stellar 2023 with three straight wins to make up for his brief losing skid against Oleksandr Usyk. He will aim to carry the same momentum into 2024.

Check out his full comments below (7:34):