With his name now instantly respected in the boxing world, Francis Ngannou is in the early stages of being a two-sport star.
Former UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou dipped his toe into the boxing world’s waters in October against WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury in a pay-per-view in Saudi Arabia. And while Ngannou lost the fight by split decision, he landed the 10-round bout’s only knockdown, and scores of analysts and observers thought he did enough to pull off what would have been a monumental upset.
Had Fury taken Ngannou out to the proverbial woodshed in his boxing debut, the Cameroonian heavyweight might have decided to settle back into MMA in his new home with the PFL. There, the 2023 heavyweight season winner, Renan Ferreira, already has called Ngannou out. And with the PFL’s purchase of Bellator in November, Bellator heavyweight champion Ryan Bader is in the mix, too, and wants the Ngannou fight.
But Ngannou looked good in the boxing match. And he reportedly had a career-defining payday from it. Despite his loss, he was ranked No. 10 in the WBC’s heavyweight rankings. He now knows he can compete in a boxing ruleset, and he can be a draw.
So when a name like Deontay Wilder starts to surface again, clearly people are paying attention.
But what’s best for him? Boxing? If so, whom? MMA? Ditto to that. Our “Spinning Back Clique” panelists Brian “Goze” Garcia, Mike Bohn and Danny Segura tackle that with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia.
Check out their discussion in the video above, and don’t miss the most recent entire episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube or in podcast form.
Video: Deontay Wilder? Renan Ferreira? Ryan Bader? Examining Francis Ngannou’s best option
