UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou has been told he’s nowhere near ‘ready’ to face Tyson Fury in a crossover bout.
The Predator was last week on the receiving end of a shock call-out from the WBC heavyweight king, a challenge he gleefully accepted.
But the heavy-handed Cameroonian’s chances of battering the Gypsy King have been written off by many in the boxing world, including former WBC cruiserweight title challenger BJ Flores.
He told The Schmo: “Francis Ngannou is so fun to watch.
“He’s so big, strong and explosive and such a powerful athlete.
“But with Tyson Fury, it’s very, very difficult to go in there with a guy like Tyson Fury.
“It might look easy on TV but Tyson Fury is the real deal and Francis will struggle incredibly with a guy like Tyson Fury.
“He’s not just going to go out there and just hit him.
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“Fury is going to beat him, period I’d like them to fight other guys who are big as well – he’s not ready for Tyson Fury.”
Ngannou, 34, is currently on the last fight of his UFC contract and hopes to negotiate a new deal that will permit him to box too.
The former refugee will be back in action a week on Saturday in the main event of UFC 270 in Anaheim, California.
Ngannou’s first title defence will see him lock horns with former MMA Factory team-mate Ciryl Gane.
In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Ngannou said of his maiden title defence: “I don’t recognize [Gane’s] belt.
“I’m the undisputed heavyweight champion. [Gane’s belt] isn’t legitimate, it is a replacement.
“The presence of the champion makes the interim title invalid. And I’m here.”
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