Dan Hardy says Francis Ngannou could sell PPVs in boxing, but needs to beat Ciryl Gane to have leverage over UFC

Dan Hardy, Francis Ngannou, and Ciryl Gane (left to right) [Hardy image credits: @danhardymma on Instagram]

Dan Hardy feels there's a lot riding on Francis Ngannou's upcoming heavyweight title unification bout against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270. According to the Englishman, Ngannou must beat Gane and retain his title to have leverage in his ongoing contract negotiations with the UFC.

This time next week!! 🇨🇲🏆🇫🇷

@Francis_Ngannou vs @Ciryl_Gane at #UFC270! https://t.co/JnldFjx7zt

'The Predator' has just one fight remaining under his current contract with the UFC. According to Hardy, if he retains the title, Francis Ngannou will have the upper hand in terms of negotiating a better deal for himself going forward. If he loses, Hardy feels Ngannou might have to test free agency.

While he agrees that Ngannou could sell pay-per-views fighting the likes of Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua in boxing, Hardy believes his stint in the sport may be short-lived due to inexperience:

"I think he has a lot more leverage being the champion. If he loses the belt and he decides he wants to clash heads with the UFC, he doesn't have that ace card to hold on to that you know, he takes the belt with him...If he loses this fight he could step over into boxing and you could quite easily sell two or three pay-per-views against him and the Deontay Wilders, the Tyson Furys, Anthony Joshuas, any of those guys... The problem is that's going to run aground very quickly because his power only goes so far and I think that boxing is a different skill set and i think that would run aground in probably three fights," Hardy told Submission Radio.

Catch Dan Hardy's interview with Submission Radio below:

Jon Jones is looking forward to watching heavyweight title clash between Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones will be watching the title-unification clash between Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 this weekend. Jones has been teasing a move to heavyweight for quite some time now and is expected to challenge for the title against the winner of Ngannou vs. Gane down the line.

Speaking about the fight, 'Bones' said he has no idea who's going to win but is looking forward to watching the scrap. Jones also said he expects to learn a lot about both Gane and Ngannou from the fight:

"Really have no clue who’s going to win, I’m just excited to watch the fight. Going to learn so much about the both of them no matter how it goes down" Jones wrote on Twitter.

Really have no clue who’s going to win, I’m just excited to watch the fight. Going to learn so much about the both of them no matter how it goes down twitter.com/bonescrushed_/…