KHABIB NURMAGOMEDOV has warned the ‘best’ boxer Tyson Fury against fighting Francis Ngannou in the octagon.
The Gypsy King says he is eyeing a ‘massive fight’ against the UFC heavyweight champion next year.
And the boxing superstar predicts the Las Vegas bout will ‘break all pay-per-view records’.
Fury, 33, has a busy schedule in 2022 as he prepares to defend his WBC crown against Dillian Whyte on April 23.
Should he win, Fury is then likely to fight either Oleksandr Usyk or Anthony Joshua to unify the heavyweight division.
But the Gypsy King is already making plans for 2023 by lining up a mega-scrap with Ngannou, the 35-year-old Cameroonian hitter who successfully defended his belt last month against Ciryl Gane.
However, during an interview with Sky Sports, now-retired UFC lightweight king Khabib has offered some words of advice to Fury over stepping into the cage with Ngannou.
He said: “[Fury] is the best right now. I don’t know. I think Fury is on a different level, in boxing.
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“If they fight in the MMA of course, Ngannou has a chance now – we can see from his last fight.
“If they fight in the UFC yeah, Fury doesn’t have too many chances. But in boxing, I don’t see anyone even touching his face – maybe Oleksandr Usyk. Usyk is going to be a tough challenge for Fury.
“But Ngannou? I think he has to stay with the UFC. But if he goes to boxing and he’s making 50 or 60 million dollars – he has to. Why not?”
Khabib added: “I know Ngannou comes from a very, very poor life in Africa. He was with no money, no home, nothing. So if someone pays you more money then go and take.
“If you want to make history, become the greatest heavyweight of all time then you have to stay in UFC.”
