Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou made his boxing debut against WBC boxing champion Tyson Fury and lost via split decision. His performance may have him in another boxing match on Dec. 23 says former UFC middleweight titleholder Michael Bisping.
“Francis Ngannou is back again December 23,” Bisping said on his YouTube channel. “As we know, Francis Ngannou just shocked the world, had an incredible performance against Tyson Fury. So, rematch with Tyson Fury? That’s what a lot of people want to see, but of course he’ll be fighting [Oleksandr] Usyk some time next year not December 23 which was contractually agreed upon.
“December 23, back in Riyadh, the middle of Riyadh season, and back in Saudi Arabia, looks like “The Predator” Francis Ngannou, 1-0 in boxing, will be coming back. The Saudi’s want to continue putting on massive events and who bigger, literally, than Francis Ngannou,” Bisping continued. “So he’s going to be back. That’s what the rumors are right now. That’s what’s circulating. Francis Ngannou’s going to box again December 23, and it makes sense. It really does make sense. They want to put on a big fight. Francis Ngannou really is the talk of the town right now. What he did was incredible, so putting him back in there against another boxer, incredible. So who’s it going to be? There’s a lot of rumors, a lot of offers.”
The opponent for Ngannou is uncertain, but the options are wide open.
Related: Francis Ngannou wants rematch with Tyson Fury
“The one that most people would want to see and that would do the highest numbers would be, of course, Anthony Joshua,” Bisping said. “December 23, it looks like Francis Ngannou’s going to be back, not in the PFL, not in mixed martial arts. The biggest spectacle would be Anthony Joshua. It ain’t going to be Tyson Fury. That rematch has to happen down the line. Tyson Fury has to try to kind of get his respect back in the boxing community. I mean, he just essentially lost to an absolute novice.”
The larger question is whether Ngannou will ever fight MMA again? The financial reward is much bigger in boxing and he might want to strike while the iron’s hot.
“If he goes out there and has another good performance I don’t think we’re going to see Francis Ngannou fight in mixed martial arts again,” Bisping said. “I mean, think about it like this. Mixed martial arts is a lot harder than boxing… Ngannou mainly fought in MMA with his hands. Remember, he lost to Stipe Miocic because he got tired and got outwrestled. In the rematch his wrestling was way better and he used that wrestling to good effect against Ciryl Gane, but in mixed martial arts he has to continue to learn to wrestle. He’s got to learn jiu-jitsu, work on knees, elbows, the clinch, taking people down. You name it. We know the drill. Boxing is just hands, and that’s his most dangerous weapon, and that is why they call him “The Predator.”
https://www.mmaweekly.com/news/michael-bisping-francis-ngannou-is-boxing-again-on-dec-23