Francis Ngannou has often hailed Mike Tyson as a legend of the combat sports circuit. Back in November 2019, the reigning UFC heavyweight champion took to social media to share a glimpse of his time with 'The Baddest Man on the Planet' on the 'Hotboxin' with Mike Tyson' podcast.
The Batie brawler revealed that Mike Tyson had agreed to train him ahead of a potential fight against Tyson Fury. Here's what he had to say about it on Instagram:
"I finally meet my IDOL (Mike Tyson) yesterday and he agreed to coach me when I fight (Tyson Fury) in the ring.#WAKANDA4EVER #UNCROWNDEDKING," wrote Francis Ngannou on his post.
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You can watch the pair's antics here:
The episode aired after Francis Ngannou's scrap against Jairzinho Rozentruik at UFC 249 back in May 2020. 'The Predator' made short work of 'Bigi Boy', who came into the fight with an undefeated record, at just 20 seconds into the first round.
His win over Rozenstruik launched him right into title contention. Francis Ngannou's subsequent outing in the cage was against the then heavyweight champion, Stipe Miocic. A round 2 KO earned him the undisputed heavyweight title in addition to improving his winning streak to 5 fights.
Francis Ngannou to follow in the footsteps of Mike Tyson?
Having recorded 12 KO/TKO wins over the course of his storied career, with eight of those coming in the first round itself, Francis Ngannou has established himself as a striking maestro.
Francis Ngannou has frequently admitted that he would love to don boxing gloves and compete inside the squared circle. However, butting heads with Mike Tyson himself is something that is not on Ngannou's cards when it comes to boxing. Francis Ngannou sat down with TMZ Sports to discuss a foray into the world of pugilism:
"I don't want to fight Mike Tyson, but I would like to fight another heavyweight boxer such as Tyson Fury. Remember, boxing was my primary dream. I believe that at some point, I'm going to make that step," said Francis Ngannou.
Francis Ngannou could very well jump ship to the squared circle after his stint with the UFC draws to a close.