BREAKING: Francis Ngannou vs. Anthony Joshua fight on the table for summer 2023

Francis Ngannou has been all over the news ever since the UFC announced his departure following failed contract negotiations. Ngannou's exit from the UFC may have been influenced by the organization's reluctance to include the prospect of pursuing boxing bouts.

Ngannou, who is now free to pursue opportunities outside of the UFC, recently challenged Anthony Joshua to a bout, despite having initially planned to face fellow heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. Eddie Hearn, Joshua's promoter, has provided a major update regarding a potential bout between the two combatants, much to the delight of Ngannou's fans.

.@francis_ngannou names Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua as ideal opponents for a potential first boxing match 🥊 #TheMMAHour

▶️ youtu.be/0vngym7ChcM https://t.co/cFX4tZGXal

Speaking about the potential Francis Ngannou vs. Anthony Joshua clash on Fight Hub TV, Eddie Hearn replied:

"I think AJ's [Anthony Joshua] priority is to become a world champion again. I've spoken to Francis Ngannou about it. AJ will return on April 1st. We could make that fight [Ngannou vs. Joshua] in the summer. It will be a massive event... but we'll see. I like Francis. I think he's a great man and he's in a great position."

Check out the full video below:

Hearn previously stated in an interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour that he is impressed with Ngannou's knowledge of the business of combat sports and that a fight between 'The Predator' and Joshua could be "one of the biggest fights that could be made across any kind of sport."

.@EddieHearn confirms he has spoken to Francis Ngannou 👀 #TheMMAHour

"For me, we would love to be involved in his career. The Anthony Joshua fight is just probably one of the biggest fights that could be made across any kind of sport."

▶️ youtube.com/live/BcQ3-EbLi… https://t.co/zrexyawB93

Francis Ngannou once hailed Anthony Joshua as a very skilled boxer

Francis Ngannou is keen to land a boxing match within the year following the UFC's announcement of his departure. Eddie Hearn, a notable boxing promoter, has also been contacted by the Cameroonian to map out a path for him in boxing.

In a video uploaded to his YouTube page, 'The Predator' discussed the qualities of some of the world's top heavyweight boxers. He declared without question that Tyson Fury was the greatest fighter of the era. 'The Gypsy King' has also expressed interest in challenging Ngannou following his exit from the UFC.

Tyson Fury appears to be interested in Francis Ngannou again https://t.co/LpGp9DEL3J

In the same video, Ngannou went onto praise on Anthony Joshua, who held the WBA, WBO, IBF, and IBO titles twice:

"Anthony Joshua - very nice guy, very good. I've been watching Joshua since a long time. He's a very good boxer, skill-wise. Good physique and everything. Personally I don't know him but I will say nice guy from what I've seen so far. He's very explosive. He hits hard. I watched some of his fights. Even when he fought Klitschko, he showed he can hit and take punches, too. He has a very good chin."

Check out the full video below: