As Francis Ngannou Gets Set To Defend His Title, He Knows A Clash With Tyson Fury Is The Real Main Event

UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou is in final preparations to fight interim champ Ciryl Gane on Saturday night in a title-unifying battle at UFC 270.

That’s all well and good but… But what?

But that’s not the fight everyone is talking about, is it? The bout that’s usurped the spotlight in the lead-up of Ngannou’s title defense is some alternate-universe fight between Ngannou and heavyweight boxing king Tyson Fury.

Earlier this month, Ngannou and Fury teased combat-sports fans with tweets of a crossover clash between the two baddest men on the planet. Fury lobbied for UFC gloves with boxing rules while Ngannou suggested boxing gloves with MMA rules. And, outside of a blizzard of RTs, the fantasy fight seemed like nothing more than, well, a fantasy. Except for one thing: Ngannou isn’t letting go of it.

Just a couple days out from his title defense, Ngannou told Sky Sports that he wants Fury after he battles Gane. He said, if had to pick Fury or former pound-for-pound UFC king Jon Jones as his next opponent, he’d prefer to step into the boxing ring. “If you give me the two options,” Ngannou said, “I would choose fighting Tyson Fury.”

So could there be a chance of the fight actually happening? Not in early 2022, that’s for sure.

Fury is tentatively slated to face WBC mandatory title challenger Dillian Whyte, although the terms of that bout have not been solidified.

Fury also has stated his destiny is to unify the heavyweight crown, so that would mean he would get the winner of the Anthony Joshua-Oleksandr Usyk rematch.

If Fury does unify the gold, what else is there? How’s this sound: a monstrous payday to fight Ngannou to close out his career. Now, that’s starting to sound realistic.

Ngannou’s next move is more foggy than Fury’s. First, he must beat the undefeated Gane. No easy-peasy task. The undefeated Gane’s striking skills are generally considered the best in the division. And then Ngannou must (or maybe not) settle the publicized contractual feud with the UFC. He recently said he will not fight again under the terms of his current deal. See UFC prez Dana White on that one.

White said Ngonnou should focus on Gane and not his contract or a Fury fight. “Win this fight and then you can talk about the possibility of other things,” White said.

Is Ngannou using boxing as negotiation tactic against the UFC? Probably not. It sounds like he really wants to get in the ring, saying MMA” hasn’t taken away that dream of boxing. I always knew that I wanted to get a part of boxing in my career before the end of my career.”

And if he fights Fury, he’ll fulfill the dream — and also make more money than he’s ever made in his life.