"MMA came around" - Francis Ngannou speaks about his soft spot and ambitions for crossing over to boxing while pursuing UFC
Francis Ngannou recently revealed his interest in exploring boxing while he was still pursuing success in MMA during his early struggles.
At the age of 26, Ngannou embarked on his quest to fulfill his childhood dream of boxing, only to encounter a tumultuous journey rife with obstacles. Departing his homeland, the Cameroonian found himself detained in a Spanish jail en route to Paris, where he later grappled with homelessness.
However, in the face of adversity, destiny guided him to the esteemed MMA Factory, where Ngannou not only sought solace but also thrived, rapidly rising to become a shining star in the world of MMA, ultimately reaching the pinnacle of the UFC's heavyweight division.
Fast forward to October 2023, 'The Predator' finds himself living out his dream, having not only secured a blockbuster showdown against WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury but also surprising his critics with a split decision loss that left them stunned. Now, Ngannou is preparing to square off against former unified titleholder Anthony Joshua on March 8 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Ahead of his upcoming fight, 'The Predator' recently engaged in a face-to-face interview with Joshua, hosted by DAZN Boxing. During the discussion, the former UFC heavyweight champion shared about his early ambition to transition into boxing:
"I always loved boxing growing up. But I haven't had the opportunity since I grew up in Africa or even when I came to Europe a little over 10 years ago. I always wanted to stick to boxing but didn't have any opportunity and then MMA came around.
"For me, it was an opportunity to potentially make my way up and then maybe, at some point, crossover. I always had that in mind."
Check out Francis Ngannou's comments below (3:01):
Francis Ngannou forecasts contrast in Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua bouts
During the same interview with DAZN Boxing, Francis Ngannou expressed his view that Tyson Fury possesses greater resilience as a boxer compared to Anthony Joshua.
'The Predator' forecasted that if he manages to knock down Joshua in their upcoming fight, he's uncertain whether 'AJ' will recover in the same manner Fury did:
"I have a doubt [that he would get up], Tyson has showed that he is very resilient. I saw him come back from a knockdown that you wouldn’t believe somebody would come back from. I think he is probably one of the most resistant people out there. That is not a disrespect to AJ. I don’t believe that Joshua will take what Tyson did." [11:00]