UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou is 90 per cent sure he’ll Tyson Fury in a blockbuster crossover bout after he makes the first defence of his title.
Ngannou, 34, has been on the receiving end of multiple call-outs from the bruising Brit ahead of his UFC 270 title defence against Ciryl Gane on Sunday morning.
The Predator has publicly accepted Fury’s challenges and believes he’ll throw down with the WBC heavyweight champ after seeing off Gane.
When asked how confident he is about a fight with the Wythenshawe warrior coming to fruition, he replied: Out of ten?
“Let’s say eight. Why not nine? Just to be conservative.”
African powerhouse Ngannou is refusing to let the prospect of a multi-million-pound showdown with the Gypsy King distract him from his first defence of the UFC’s heavyweight crown.
He said: “That idea just came out like that, but I’m not thinking about that fight right now.
“Obviously I think it would be a good thing to bring something new. Some crossover thing, something strange; very entertaining.
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“I think he’ll make this very special and very good. Some new fighting style.”
Ngannou will become a free agent if he loses his grudge match with former team-mate Gane, although a victory will extend his current deal until the end of the year.
The Cameroonian clubber doesn’t know what the future holds for him but admits he wants his next outing to be a big-money showdown with Fury.
He said: “I don’t know [if the fight will happen], but that’s who I want it to be [against].”
Should Ngannou get the better of the undefeated Gane, a blockbuster bout with former pound-for-pound UFC king Jon Jones will be on the cards.
But if clashes with Jones and Fury were both put to the former refugee, he’d prefer a venture into the boxing ring.
He told Sky Sports: “If you give me the two options, I would choose fighting Tyson Fury.
“After fighting Stipe [Miocic], the John Jones fight was on the table, but it seems like nobody really cares about it, so I don’t know.
“And also, we don’t even know what is the position of Jon Jones right now.
“I’m not planning my life based on that. I will plan my life based on the facts.”
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