Tyson Fury mocks Francis Ngannou – is boxing the next challenge for the UFC heavyweight champion? | boxing news
Tyson Fury dared Francis Ngannou to cross paths in the boxing ring, hours after the UFC champion retained his title and talked about a sport change.
The WBC Fury champion posted on social media: “Congratulations Ngannou, but if you want to win real money, come see the [Gypsy King].”
Ngannou unified the UFC heavyweight division by edging out and moving ahead of Ciryl Gane on Saturday night.
He then said: “Boxing is always in my back pocket. It’s something I have to do before my career is over.
“I’m looking for opportunities to do it. I’m thinking about it.”
But Tom Aspinall, Britain’s newest UFC heavyweight contender, has ruled out Ngannou’s chances of successfully switching sports.
“He can’t be competitive,” Aspinall said.
“It doesn’t translate.
“I myself have done fights with Tyson Fury.
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“Boxing for MMA doesn’t translate into pure boxing as MMA fighters think.
“These guys have been going 12 rounds forever and know how to control their energy.
“Boxing in MMA is mostly boxing. There’s so much more to boxing – they’re smart with energy, how to mount punches, return punches, hit to the body.
“There’s a whole bunch of things that MMA fighters don’t understand.”
Ngannou’s victory on Saturday night was his last fight on his current contract with the UFC.
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Francis Ngannou is uncertain about his UFC future
Ngannou’s manager, Marquel Martin, previously insisted: “Francis is dangerous for Fury because the best fighter to fight Fury to date is Deontay Wilder. Deontay is not known for his ‘soft science’ – he is known for his devastating power.
“With that power, he was able to land some powerful shots (very hard to do) that put Tyson on the canvas a few times.
“I recognize that hitting Tyson is very difficult. However, if Francis were to spend six to 12 months strictly on boxing, I am confident that Francis can learn the mechanics and timing he would need to land powerful punches.
“Francis hits a lot harder than Deontay.
“Francis is very serious about boxing – it was his first dream. It’s what he left Africa to learn how to do.”
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