Anthony Joshua in talks over shock Francis Ngannou fight as Eddie Hearn reveals ex-UFC champ wants switch to boxing
EDDIE HEARN revealed he has held talks with Francis Ngannou over the prospect of fighting Anthony Joshua.
Ngannou is now the hottest prospect on the market after leaving the UFC, having failed to agree a contract extension.
PA:Press AssociationAnthony Joshua and promoter Eddie Hearn in 2019[/caption]
GettyFrancis Ngannou is now the hottest prospect on the market after leaving the UFC[/caption]
Joshua’s promoter Hearn wasted no time in reaching out to the heavyweight star, who was forced to vacate his UFC title.
And the Matchroom Boxing chief is hoping AJ beats Tyson Fury, 34, to the crossover super-fight with Ngannou, 36.
Hearn said on The MMA Hour: “We’ll see what happens. For me, we would love to be involved with his career.
“The Anthony Joshua fight is probably among the biggest fights that can be made in any sport. Obviously the Tyson Fury fight is there for him as well.
“I was pretty captivated by him. I’m not a massive MMA fan, but I still respect what he’s achieved there.
“But I just found him to be an outstanding gentleman. We’ll see how it goes.”
Hearn would rather Ngannou jump straight into a blockbuster fight with Joshua, 33, opposed to building his way up.
He said: “I mean, I think he should fight Anthony Joshua. I don’t see — this is another conversation I had with Nate Diaz’s guys.
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“These guys have a mountain to climb in terms of the challenge of fighting an elite boxer, but to go through the process of having two or three fights — one fight you might look bad because you’re learning, so the value really is the unknown.
“What happens when two titans from the world of fight sports collide?
“The UFC heavyweight world champion Francis Ngannou and the two-time world heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua.
“The complete unknown. The unknown of how good is Francis Ngannou? We know he punches extremely hard, if he lands one on Anthony Joshua, is it the greatest upset of all time?
“Or will AJ completely steamroll him and you’ll see Francis Ngannou get knocked out? That’s the attraction of that fight, the unknown.
“So for me, if I’m representing Francis Ngannou, I want to make sure that this next move, I maximise every dollar that’s out there.
“He’s done the hard work, he’s done the years of hustle. He’s done the work to get himself in a position that he can move forward with what he wants to do, take control of his career.
“And now the freedom that he has to do that must be incredibly motivating and enjoyable for him.”
Francis Ngannou with UFC president Dana White in 2022Getty
