Francis Ngannou is in pursuit of bigger and better opportunities post-UFC.

Interest in a fight between the former UFC heavyweight champion and the reigning heavyweight boxing king Tyson Fury has been boiling since mid-2022. MMA’s worst man was recovering from knee surgery last year. However, he made it clear that he would continue to fight until the UFC releases him earlier in the month.

Fury seems to be still interested in a match, but it’s only a matter of working out all the details. An idea for a straight-up boxing match has been kicked around less than some kind of variation, which has pundits like Chael Sonnen scratching their heads.

“I saw Tyson Fury out over the weekend, and finally clarify first what we are going to do with Francis,” Sonnen stated on his Youtube channel .. They’ve said it all: “They are going to create a new sport.” They were not going to play a combat-related game. For reasons unknown, they weren’t going to box. Francis offered to box and Tyson declined. They were to create rules.

“Tyson finally laid out for us what they are. They were going to fight in a cage. I have no idea why. The cage will be their prison. Okay, fine. You’ll see them wearing four-once gloves. I have no idea why, but okay, fine. They are then going to follow boxing rules, the rules of Queensbury.”

Ngannou claimed to have turned down “around $8 million” to stay with the UFC, wanting more freedom with his overall opportunities. In boxing, the fighters at the highest level get paid handsomely and Ngannou could certainly join that mix when collaborating with someone like Fury.

“I put this out there because of how disappointing it is to see these boxers as beggars,” Sonnen said. The “hot” guys are able to get out and do it all on their own. They have the physical abilities that most men only wish for. They don’t know how they can go out and do it themselves. They don’t even know what to do. It was not surprising that Tyson Fury would eat it. It’s not disappointing, but I wouldn’t call it that. It was really close to calling it that, but I don’t want to call it that. So Tyson comes to us with perhaps the dumbest idea in sports history. It is .”

, he knows.

A matchup between Ngannou and Fury would be “The Predator’s” debut as a professional boxer. The undefeated Fury (33-0-1) last fought in Dec. 2022, earning a third career win over Derek Chisora. Ngannou was defeated by Ciryl Gane last Jan. 2022.

As far as the general public is aware, there has not been any real momentum for a Fury-Ngannou fight. However, Ngannou suggested when he spoke on The MMA Hour last week that he was working on something this summer. Fury is the one with all the “real” boxing options at present, looking at possibly boxing Oleksandr Usyk in the near future.

“To watch a guy in that position that could command, that has the connections, that should’ve done this behind the scenes, should’ve been able to come out and make an announcement, instead lobby a joke to the world with pieces — it was just weird,” Sonnen said.

“Are you guys going to do it or not? Why would you put it in a box if it’s something that you want to do? Why do it with four-once gloves? What is the point of calling boxing Queensbury. Why don’t we make this real simple? Let me know. Because then we’d have to do it. That’s why. It’s why we make it complicated .”

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TOP STORIES

Legacy. John Hackleman retires from cornering after trying to call off Glover Teixeira vs. Jamahal Hill at UFC 283

Outside. Jiri prochazka aims to make a summer comeback from shoulder injury.

Whoops. Anthony Smith vows to never miss weight again after coming in heavy as UFC 283 backup

Rankings. Jamahal Hill rockets into top 20 after UFC title win

Trouble. Report: Conor McGregor denies report of alleged attack on woman in Ibiza

Team. Sayif Saud describes how he started working with Brandon Moreno after James Krause was suspended

Next. UFC champion Alex Pereira may return with Robert Whittaker, if Israel Adesanya does not want an immediate rematch

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VIDEO STEW

Free fight.

RIZIN Confession #114.

PFL free fights.

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LISTEN UP

Heck of a Morning. MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck discusses the fallout of UFC 283, Jamahal Hill’s title win.

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SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE

Art.

Punch out.

Passion and persistence.

Soon.

Anime chatter.

Welcome back.

Congrats!

Art of Aoki.

Fearless.

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FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Gabriella Fernandes (8-1) vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius (7-2); UFC Vegas 70, Feb. 25

Dan Hooker (22-12) vs. Jalin Turner (13-5); UFC 285, March 4

Alexander Volkov (35-10) vs. Alexandr Romanov (16-1); UFC Vegas 71, March 11

Gaston Bolanos (6-3) vs. Aaron Phillips (12-4); UFC Fight Night, April 15

Natan Levy (8-1) vs. Pete Rodriguez (5-1); UFC Fight Night, April 29

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FINAL THOUGHTS

I don’t really care about these boxing-related shenanigans involving MMA fighters. This, however, I would probably see. The weirder, the better. I’m sure Jed would agree. It’s in Fight Circus.

Thanks for reading!

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EXIT POLL

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Source: https://www.mmafighting.com/2023/1/25/23569906/morning-report-chael-sonnen-confused-by-dumbest-idea-in-sports-history-tyson-fury-vs-francis-ngannou?rand=96749