What’s going on with former UFC heavyweight champ Francis Ngannou? Ngannou recently signed a landmark contract with the Professional Fighters’ League, but recent press appearances indicate that Ngannou is still flirting with a “tune up” boxing match.
According to UFC welterweight and self-proclaimed boxing superfan Matt Brown, Ngannou needs to “quit f***ing around” and get paid.
Matt Brown: Francis Ngannou Needs To “Quit F***ing Around” With Boxing
“He needs to go for the big payday. It sounds like he wants to be a serious professional boxer maybe, if he’s talking about doing a warmup fight to get into it. I guess that’s a different path but now you’re taking a risk. Maybe you’re not that good. You don’t know.
You haven’t f****** boxed, bro. You weren’t in the Olympics. You didn’t do an amateur career. You don’t f****** know. When you don’t know, go for the payday. Go for the f****** payday. What are we doing here? Quit f******* around here. Get the payday and be done with it.”
Ngannou has long stated his dream of crossing over into boxing. Most of the speculation surrounding a potential Ngannou boxing debut has followed his war of words with Tyson Fury, the lineal heavyweight champ.
Matt Brown feels like there could not be a worse opponent for “The Predator” than “The Gypsy King.” Ngannou might be better taking his chances against another UK heavyweight and former world champion, Anthony Joshua.
Key to Ngannou’s chance of success in the squared circle is his famed punching power. “He probably has a better chance against [Anthony] Joshua than I think people give him credit for.
I think Joshua is 10 times a better boxer, he has the experience [but] he’s a little chinny. He does not like getting hit. That is his flaw that he’s dealt with for a long time.
He does not like getting hit, and if Francis actually shows him that power, even touches his gloves hard, Joshua might start cowering down a little bit. It probably comes across like I’m putting him down or something. He’s absolutely an amazing fighter, and I have the utmost respect for him, but that’s certainly the knock on him is his chin and his ability to take shots.
Joshua is the one, in my opinion, that makes the most sense. If I’m Ngannou and I’m chasing boxing, I go for Joshua. He’s the lowest risk. He’s not a big knockout guy. He’s probably the most chinny of all the guys.
You know you’re going to sell big in the U.K. and you’re probably going to sell well in the U.S. because it’s Francis Ngannou. So you’ve got a huge, worldwide audience that’s going to pay for that. Joshua is a big name with the lowest risk. That’s the one I go for.”
