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UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira critically analyzed Francis Ngannou's move to boxing after he left the UFC in search of better opportunities. Ngannou was campaigning for a high-profile boxing match against former WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, and many felt that the chances of the fight taking place were low.
Pereira, who was the reigning UFC middleweight champion at the time, shared his thoughts on Ngannou's decision while speaking to MMA Fighting:
“It depends if he’s fighting the elite. [Boxing against] Tyson is hard. It’s suicide. … There are other guys for him to start. [He can go] one step at a time. If he really wants to fight those guys, then he’s just thinking about the money. I don’t know if that’s the case. But to say ‘I’m going there because I want to become champion,’ that’s hard.” [H/T MMA Fighting]
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At the time of this interview, Jon Jones was scheduled to fight Ciryl Gane for the heavyweight title left vacant by Ngannou's departure from the UFC. He went on to defeat Gane by first-round submission to win the title. The potential fight between Jones and Ngannou remains among the historically most significant fights that never materialized.
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How did Francis Ngannou's boxing career play out after Alex Pereira's assessment?
Although it seemed a distant possibility, Francis Ngannou made his highly anticipated boxing debut against Tyson Fury in Oct. 2023. While most expected Fury to outclass the former UFC heavyweight champion with his experience, Ngannou offered stiff resistance and gave 'The Gypsy King' everything he could handle in the 10-round fight.
Ngannou also scored the only knockdown of the fight and Fury walked away with a razor-thin split decision victory. However, many felt that the Cameroonian fighter deserved the judges' nod.
Despite the respectable performance, Ngannou could not keep the momentum going and suffered a devastating second-round KO defeat against Anthony Joshua in March.
The 38-year-old will return to MMA competition as he takes on PFL heavyweight champion Renan Ferreira for the PFL Super Fight title. This will be Ngannou's first professional MMA appearance since he defeated Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 to secure his first heavyweight title defense.
