With former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou signed to the Professional Fighters’ League, Ngannou’s manager Marquel Martin is hard at work moving his star client forward.
One major goal of Ngannou’s is to enter the boxing ring, and Martin revealed on The MMA Hour that Ngannou fans may well get to enjoy a “tune up fight” before the year is out.
Manager: Former UFC Heavyweight Champ Francis Ngannou To Make Boxing Debut in 2023
“We go back and forth on that all the time. We’d love if one of the big fights present himself, but it seems like they’re kind of tied up. So I guess tune-up fight. Francis isn’t a traditional boxer, so every fight is a big fight. But I know Francis wants to challenge himself.
Obviously, you see Deontay out there, Anthony Joshua out there, Tyson Fury out there, we’d love that matchup. I think that’s something that has a narrative and a story behind it that’s bigger than just the fight game, and at the same time, we want to see who the baddest man on the planet is.
I know Dana [White] just said that [about Jon Jones] — I guess Jon Jones is the GOAT, don’t get me wrong. But baddest man on the planet? No, can’t be. Maybe the interim baddest man on the planet or something. I think Francis has that [title].”
Martin continued, pointing out that building a big fight takes time. “I think obviously that’s something that Francis has always wanted to do.
The UFC knows that and that’s what I wanted to always push for. That is going to happen. Who it’s going to be against, we don’t know. We’ve had a lot of positive conversations.
As you know, boxing is even crazier than the MMA space, so things just take time. Obviously, we’re in the social media age where no one wants to be patient for anything, but I’ll say without giving away too much that things are positive, they’re going in the right direction. I think people will be shocked by what comes of it.
And at the end of the day this is not about just money. Francis wants to develop the sport in Africa. Combat sports. Again, one of the reasons why I fought for him so passionately or whatever you want to call it is because this dude is bigger than himself, the fight game.
I use to tell him, ‘Bro, you realize you’re bigger than what you think you are. You’re not just meant to be a champion. You’re meant to be a figure for your fellow countrymen to give them hope, what you did in life.’”
