Francis Ngannou doubts Tyson Fury will fight him in the UFC because he would be "killed" if the pair met under MMA rules.
The Cameroon star's UFC future remains uncertain after he won the final fight on his current contract against Cyril Gane. He has frequently reiterated his desire to enter the boxing ring and has continued to trade verbal jabs with the WBC heavyweight champion Fury over a showdown.
Ngannou has now fired a fresh warning at his rival vowing that anything can happen when two heavyweights step in the ring despite their different fighting experience. "I don't really care about what it will be, I just think it would be a fight against Tyson Fury," Ngannou said on his YouTube channel regarding a potential boxing clash.
"It can be in a phone booth or wherever but that fight will happen. Obviously he would not come to MMA, he would get killed. Basically in the heavyweight division if you see people getting in the octagon or in the ring that weigh around 270lbs, everybody can knock everybody out that's a fact.
"Also it is not easy to knock somebody out, it is not easy to find somebody and land on them cleanly so it could also go to a decision. We have seen this a fair bit over time so this is also possible."
Fury initially challenged Ngannou to a boxing match on social media ahead of his victory over Gane, proposing that the bout takes place with UFC gloves and boxing rules. The UFC's heavyweight champion later responded with a counter-offer of using boxing gloves and MMA rules but that is unlikely to be adopted.
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The 'Gypsy King' will first defend his heavyweight crown in an all-British clash with Dillian Whyte on April 23. Fury has declared he will retire from the sport after the fight but would be willing to dust off his gloves if a fight with Ngannou can be made further down the line.
He has also revealed a targeted date of 2023 in Las Vegas for the bout, but that will depend on the resolution of his rival's ongoing contract dispute with the UFC. Ngannou has now delivered an update on his future after undergoing extensive knee surgery.
"It could be five or six months until I am back," Ngannou continued. "It will all depend on the surgery and reconstruction to see how it went. I also need time to figure out my contract situation and wherever I am going right now because the UFC and I have to talk business but this time with consideration as they have to take me seriously.
"I feel very relieved from the pressure and stress, and now I am going to take time to get myself healthy and by the end of the year I will know what the future holds for me."
