By: Hans Themistode
Becoming successful in Mixed Martial Arts requires a wide range of skills. As for UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, however, he has risen to the top of the group with his pure attack and power. Of his 16 wins, 12 of them were split wins.
Due to his propensity to stand and hit his opponents, Ngannou became intrigued with his transition to the world of boxing. Even as the UFC star prepares to defend his heavyweight crown against Ciryl Gane on January 22, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, Ngannou admits he’s still very interested in making the switch.
“It’s always been low,” Ngannou said in an interview with TMZ. “This is something that I can’t take my eyes off of. That will happen.”
Towards the end, more and more UFC fighters are turning to the sport of boxing. Most recently, former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley went head-to-head with Jake Paul in the squared circle, losing both. However, with Ngannou being contractually bound to the UFC, as opposed to Woodley being a free agent, it made it extremely difficult for the heavyweight champion to overcome the obstacle.
That said, Ngannou is currently in the final fight of his lucrative contract. While the 35-year-old has not said he will focus his entire future on a new sport, he certainly wants to make sure he will be able to participate at some point.
“Even if the UFC and I do finally come to an agreement, the boxing part still has to come in. I can’t see myself retiring without boxing.”
As for who Ngannou wants to face on his boxing debut, look no further than the top of the table. Although shooting for the best is ultimately an arduous task, something that would be exacerbated if he lacked boxing experience, Ngannou did not concern himself with the meticulous details of this sport. Instead, he focuses on doing what he’s best at.
“Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder, I want to try my hand at that level. It’s not the same sport but at the end of the day it’s just throwing hands, throwing punches. There’s a good distribution system for throwing those bombs. I’m sure if I do my own punches pretty well I can do some damage. ”
