UFC color commentator Joe Rogan weighed in on the options for Francis Ngannou in boxing.
Former UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou has been on the sidelines since his last outing against Ciryl Gane in Jan. 2022 at UFC 270. He powered his way through a harsh knee injury to come out on top of the contest and complete the final bout on his agreement with the promotion.
Following the win, Ngannou got into a lengthy feud with the UFC and company president Dana White due to difficulties in negotiating a new deal. The dispute ended with the two parties failing to reach an agreement. ‘The Predator’ was stripped of his title and chose to walk away from the UFC in hopes of a crossover boxing match.
Joe Rogan shares compelling fights for Francis Ngannou in boxing
In a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, Rogan shared his thoughts on the potential options for Francis Ngannou in boxing after his UFC exit.
“What if he knocks out Dillian Whyte?” Rogan said. “What if they set him up with some elite boxer, not Tyson Fury, and he goes and wins that fight? You gotta remember, Ngannou is 265 pounds ripped natural with canned hams for fists. He’s a specimen and the power is extraordinary. If he’s just punching and not worrying about takedowns, if one of those land… Look at Wilder, the greatest knockout artist ever.”
“Wilder vs. Ngannou would be crazy. How about that fight?”
Rogan wants to see Ngannou fight Tyson Fury
Ngannou has been heavily linked to a match with two-time world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury inside the boxing ring. However, recent developments suggest Fury will likely take on multi-world champion Oleksandr Usyk in his next appearance.
Rogan believes Ngannou will be the perfect opponent for Fury after his fight with Usyk.
“If Fury does beat Usyk, it’s still possible unless Ngannou decides to take a big money boxing fight before that, which I don’t blame him for doing. But goddamn it, if he beats Usyk, that’s really the only compelling interesting thing for him in that division. What else would be compelling?”
As one of the hottest free agents in town, Francis Ngannou has a plethora of suiters from both MMA and boxing. Bellator MMA expressed their interest in signing the behemoth as did other boxing promoters such as Oscar De La Hoya.
