Despite negotiating a new contract with the MMA league PFL, Francis Ngannou is still contemplating the idea of a boxing match with Anthony Joshua in Africa.
Since leaving the organization, former UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou has been a free agent and has been considering a career in boxing.
Ngannou reportedly discussed fights with a number of well-known boxers this year, including Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder, and Anthony Joshua.
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Even though nothing official has been done past initial enquiries, he recently stated that he has signed for the MMA label PFL with the intention of making his debut in 2024 once he has secured a boxing bout.
Even if a fight with Wilder appears to be Joshua’s top goal right now, the Cameroonian star believes that a showdown with Joshua in Africa would be the most appealing.
“Anthony Joshua is a fight we like,” said Ngannou on The DAZN MMA Show.
“We spoke with Eddie [Hearn, Joshua’s agent] once but that was when Joshua was about to fight Franklin. If we bring this to Africa then it is going to be massive. I think this will get him excited, that he can fight in this continent.”
Because of his Nigerian lineage, British-born Joshua has sworn to fight in Africa, therefore Ngannou’s anticipated participation in an African fight could have a big impact on Joshua in the future.
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Joshua is now in advanced talks to fight Wilder as part of his comeback in Saudi Arabia in December, but he will probably wait until after a rematch with Dillian Whyte.
Ngannou and Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, has already discussed the potential contest. But that is quite unlikely to happen this year given AJ’s obligations to his boxing career.
Hearn said that Ngannou is considering a fight with Joshua after seeing the MMA fighter in Las Vegas to discuss his desire to pursue a boxing career, but that negotiations have not yet progressed.
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