Anthony Joshua not keen on "gimmicky" Francis Ngannou fight: Eddie Hearn
Francis Ngannou's departure from the UFC signaled the beginning of a new era in MMA, where fighters take the initiative to determine the fate of their own careers by testing the waters of free agency.
Ngannou appeared to struggle initially with securing a lucrative deal with another MMA promotion, but 'The Predator' has now signed with the Professonal Fighters League (PFL). However, MMA fans will have to wait until next year to see the former UFC heavyweight champion back in action in the cage, as he will pursue boxing in 2023.
Eddie Hearn, famous boxing promoter and chairman of Matchroom Sport, recently shed light on the possibility of Francis Ngannou fighting his client, Anthony Joshua. According to Hearn, Joshua is focused on his professional boxing career right now and a matchup with 'The Predator' doesn't appear to entice him.
Hearn told Oscar Willis of TheMacLife:
"I spoke to AJ [Joshua] about the fight [with Ngannou]. He likes it and he gets it. But he is very focused on his boxing career at the moment and he doesn't want to derail that to do something gimmicky. Even though it's dangerous. But [Joshua] wants to prepare for Deontay Wilder."
Watch the interview below from 16:20:
Francis Ngannou's deal with the PFL will see his opponents earn a guaranteed purse of $2 million. 'The Predator' has also been appointed as the chairman of PFL Africa, which he believes has the ability to transform mixed martial arts in the Mother Continent.
Israel Adesanya believes that Francis Ngannou's PFL signing is a game changer
Israel Adesanya has shared a close bond with Francis Ngannou for many years. The pair and Kamaru Usman were dubbed the "three kings" of Africa.
'The Last Stylebender' recently shared his thoughts on Ngannou signing with the PFL. Adesanya believes that it will change the landscape of MMA forever.
The Nigerian-New Zealander pointed to the guaranteed purse that Ngannou's opponents will receive as a possible incentive for fighters to leave the UFC. He said in a recent video on his FREESTYLEBENDER YouTube channel:
"It's good for the game. What I really like is how his opponent is guaranteed $2 million, what he's done with PFL Africa... So this thing about his opponent being guaranteed $2 million, how many fighters are gonna be like, 'I need to get to the PFL, I need to fight Francis.' Because now Francis is the money fight. So that's another twist on it that I like."
Watch the video below from 17:00: