"I'm taking a leap of faith here" - Chael Sonnen wonders if Francis Ngannou not mentioning Tyson Fury recently is a sign of mending relationship with the UFC
Chael Sonnen believes that Francis Ngannou's relationship with the UFC could be on the mend after the heavyweight champion's failure to mention Tyson Fury or his desire to box him for a certain period of time.
Ngannou has been recovering from major surgery since defeating Ciryl Gane and unifying the title earlier this year. 'The Predator' suffered a torn MCL and damaged ACL prior to the bout and had to go under the knife after the clash with Gane, putting him out of action for up to a year.
Ngannou's contract is also set to expire at the end of 2022. The Cameroonian has previously expressed a willingness to sign a new deal if the UFC co-promoted a superfight with Tyson Fury. 'The Predator' even tried to force the UFC's hand by appearing in the ring with Fury back in April. However, any news on a fight being agreed has since gone quiet.
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Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chael Sonnen suggested that Ngannou's recent silence on a fight with Tyson Fury could be a positive sign that he's close to signing a new UFC contract:
"Francis is gonna come back. Francis, the champion, who's had a knee injury and has the right to get better. Oh, and by the way, has not discussed Tyson Fury or boxing in a period of time. As a matter of fact, Fury has gone in a massively different direction. I'm thinking maybe things are getting worked out with Francis. I just thought that was a positive sign and possibly even mending."
Catch the full video here:
Francis Ngannou has revealed his boxing future doesn't depend on Tyson Fury
Francis Ngannou was in attendance at this weekend's UFC Paris event. The 35-year-old watched on as heavyweights Ciryl Gane and Tai Tuivasa put on a spectacle in the main event, with the Frenchman knocking the Australian out in the third round.
Prior to the event, Ngannou was interviewed by ESPN MMA about his boxing future and whether or not he still hopes to fight Tyson Fury.
"My career doesn't depend on Tyson Fury or anyone else. My desire of boxing doesn't depend on Tyson Fury, so whether he is retired or not, I'm still going to do that. I still want a boxing match in my career, a few boxing matches."
Discussing his return to fighting, Francis Ngannou added:
"I think more like beginning of next year, because I am five-and-a-half months post-surgery and I'm not very strong on that knee yet."
Many will no doubt be hoping that the champion can work out his differences with the UFC and sign a new contract. There are many interesting matchups for Ngannou in the UFC, even a potential fight with Jon Jones should he defeat Stipe Miocic in their rumored clash.
Catch Francis Ngannou's full ESPN MMA interview here: