"It's not a real fight, it's pretend" - Tyson Fury hints at losing interest in Francis Ngannou match

Francis Ngannou will likely be disappointed when he finds out that Tyson Fury is seemingly losing interest in facing him in a mixed rules bout. Fury and Ngannou previously expressed interest in fighting each other in a mixed-rules fight down the line.

'The Gypsy King,' however, seems to have had a change of heart. The retired boxer claimed that he isn't interested in fighting right now. Speaking about a potential scrap against Ngannou, Fury said it wouldn't be "a real fight."

He also mentioned that UFC president Dana White isn't interested in promoting the fight, possibly insinuating that it may be one of the reasons why he changed his stance on fighting 'The Predator'.

During a recent interview with iFL TV, Fury stated:

"It's not a real fight, is it? It's pretend. It's like a whatever, it is a crossover fight but anyway Dana White don't want it so that's it. Francis, I'm sure Francis would love the fight, [to] put on a show and entertain the people and whatever but I've gone off all forms of doing it, doing fighting."

Watch the full interview with Fury below:

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What does this mean for Francis Ngannou's future in the UFC?

If Tyson Fury doesn't end up fighting Francis Ngannou, he will have left the UFC heavyweight champion high and dry. For quite some time now, 'The Predator' has been at loggerheads with the UFC brass over the demands of an improved contract and being allowed to fight Fury in a crossover matchup.

Fighting Fury would have ensured a multi-million dollar payday for the Cameroonian, who earns much less by competing inside the octagon. Despite Ngannou successfully defending the title against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270, there were doubts over his future in the promotion.

Dana White made it clear that he wouldn't promote crossover matchups and Ngannou seemed reluctant to let go of the opportunity to fight Fury. With 'The Gypsy King' seemingly disinterested in the fight, Ngannou isn't left with many options apart from stepping inside the octagon again.

The reigning champ, who is currently sidelined due to a knee ligament injury and subsequent surgery, is expected to return to the cage sometime next year.