Francis Ngannou has claimed that he would defeat Tyson Fury if the pair meet in the boxing ring despite his rival's dominant victory over Dillian Whyte.
The Cameroon star has exchanged back and forth messages with Fury on social media over a potential crossover bout which is unlikely to take place until 2023 at the earliest. Ngannou was ringside at Wembley Stadium on Saturday night to watch Fury defeat British rival Whyte with a brutal sixth-round stoppage to retain his crown.
The UFC champion stepped in the ring after the fight and explained his intentions to pursue a boxing showdown after recovering from his knee injury. "We have been talking about this going back and forth for like the past two years and I think we are close to getting this on," Ngannou told BT Sport. "I think I can beat everybody, it won't be an easy fight in the boxing world but I can beat anybody.
"I will get prepared and I am getting better and better every time I fight. In a few months I am back in the gym and I will be getting ready and I am looking forward to taking the challenge on."
Fury proved his heavyweight credentials once again on the biggest of stages and confirmed his plans to retire from the sport immediately after his victory. However, the champion promptly backtracked on his proposed retirement shortly after the final bell when Ngannou approached him in the ring.
Ngannou is just months away from the end of his contract with the UFC and could be free to negotiate a boxing clash if he opts against renewing his deal. Fury believes a crossover bout between the pair would be extremely fan-friendly and is willing to take the boxing match inside a cage if needed.
Who wins if the pair meet - Tyson Fury or Francis Ngannou? Let us know your prediction in the comments section below
"This is going to be one very special fight," Fury told ESPN in the ring after his win. "It'll be something never before seen in the history of our sport. We're not talking two guys around 140lb, I'm 270lb, he's 270lb. It's going to be an explosive fight when it happens. I'm the boxing heavyweight champion, he's the UFC heavyweight champion, he's in great shape, look at the muscles on him."
He later added: "He’s on my hit list in an exhibition fight, however he wants it. In a cage, in a boxing ring, boxing gloves, UFC gloves – we can make it happen. I think everyone wants to see it. He’s a monster of a guy, I’m a monster of a guy, so it’ll be a clash of the titans for sure."
Fury has previously stated he would like a meeting between the pair to take place in 2023 over in Las Vegas, where he previously took on Deontay Wilder.
