Francis Ngannou could fight 3 heavyweights next after giving Tyson Fury fright

Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou: Pictures

In the blink of an eye, Francis Ngannou has become one of the most talked about boxers in the heavyweight division. The former UFC world champion shocked the sport when he knocked down WBC world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury in their crossover contest in Saudi Arabia last Saturday. Against all odds, the 37-year-old African fighter looked like he was about to pull off one of the biggest shocks in the history of the sport after taking the Gypsy King all the way across 10 rounds, but he was ultimately denied by a dubious split decision that spared Fury’s blushes.

Ngannou may have ‘lost’ his first professional boxing contest but his reputation has never been held in higher regard. His heroics against Fury will have promoters falling over themselves to get ‘The Predator’ on their fight cards, but what is his next move?

A return to MMA next year is certain as the Cameroon national has already signed a contract to join the Professional Fighters League (PFL) but having come so close to defeating Fury there is no chance that we have seen the last of Ngannou in a boxing ring.

With that mind, who could he fight next?

Deontay Wilder

The Bronze Bomber had been linked with a fight against Ngannou before he took Fury the distance but not under Queensbury rules. Instead Wilder could take on the ex-UFC champion in the MMA octagon.

Speaking on the MMA Hour about the prospect of facing Wilder, Ngannou said: “I think that is a good idea. In fact, we have spoken about that. That has been in the discussions.

“That is something that could potentially happen, so Deontay Wilder for a couple of months, a little while now, has been training MMA because there is the option. Nothing is set but it’s something [that has] been coming in my ear, to my attention.

“I think Deontay Wilder is really interested in MMA, just to step into the octagon. But it’s going to be hard, it’s going to be a different place for him unlike this time [against Fury] when I was the one experiencing the mountain, climbing the mountain. He’s going to be the one climbing the mountain.”

Anthony Joshua

A head-to-head with British former world champion Joshua did not look particularly likely until Ngannou took Fury all the way in Riyadh last weekend. But his performance could be something of a game-changer.

AJ has previously dismissed the idea of getting involved with crossover boxing, insisting that he was solely focused on regaining a heavyweight world title, but Ngannou’s credibility as a serious boxer has just gone through the roof and could begin to move the goalposts.

Fury has recently indicated that Joshua has no chance of facing him for his WBC belt, claiming “that bird has already flown”, but if Joshua was to record a convincing win against Ngannou – something that was apparently beyond the Gypsy King, then he would be in a much stronger position to challenge once more for a championship belt.

The money that could be made from such an encounter will not be lost on Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn either.

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Tyson Fury (rematch)

Fury may have been declared the winner in Saudi Arabia against Ngannou, but to suggest that the split decision was a dubious one would be putting it mildly. Fury initially ruled out the prospect of a rematch, which could be considered understandable given that a deal has already been agreed for the Gypsy King to face triple belt holder Oleksandr Usyk in a heavyweight unification match that had been tipped to take place on December 23 but is more likely to go ahead early next year.

But with Fury having come so close to losing his undefeated record, a re-match with Ngannou can surely not be taken off the table once the fight to end all fights with Usyk has been settled either way.

That is a sentiment shared by Ngannou’s long-time representative Marquel Martin, who on Wednesday told the MMA Hour: “Knowing that Tyson has his fight with Usyk, afterward there’s going to be an opportunity to do the rematch.

“I have too much respect for Tyson to even think that he wouldn’t consider [Ngannou] as a competitor. When you’re in your prime at the top of your game, like Tyson Fury is, you’re not going to sleep unless you yourself know that you won the fight fair and square. Right?

“In my mind, even his team, seeing them at the airport, his team didn’t have that vibe of like, ‘We just won.’ His team had a vibe of like, ‘We got away with one.’ And I would like to think that as a competitor, that he would welcome that rematch.”

Whoever Ngannou ends up facing next, it would seem that he is extremely close to making a firm decision, as Martin claimed the choice of opponent “is probably 90 per cent made”.

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