37 Year Old Francis Ngannou Reveals Return Timeline After Controversial Loss to Tyson Fury but Clears His Intention on ‘Big Show’

After his controversial one-point split decision loss to Tyson Fury, Francis Ngannou is spoiled for choice. The biggest names in heavyweight boxing from Anthony Joshua to Deontay Wilder are looking to fight the Cameroonian.

With no real challengers he can fight in MMA, it seems likely his next fight be in the ring. However, he is 37 years old, around the age most fighters retire. In a recent interview on the Showtime Sports YouTube channel, Ngannou revealed who he would like to fight next and how many fights he has left in the tank.

Francis Ngannou reveals his plan

Asked who he would fight next in boxing, Francis Ngannou said that he would like to fight the top guys in the heavyweight division rather than someone like Derek Chisora who is not expected to give him much of a challenge or increase his estimation in the boxing world.

“I would fight… I prefer to only fight the top four fighters… I want the best, I want a big fight. I want a big show. I want everything big. But at the end of the day is a sport we do what we want we have to do,” he said.

Later in the interview, he was asked how many fights he thought he would have before retiring, and the Cameroonian said, “around eight”. MMA fans would be hoping at least one of them would be with Jon Jones or at least Tom Aspinall.

But Ngannou’s unceremonious exit from the UFC, Dana White’s recent comments on the matter, and a contract with the PFL makes either of those highly unlikely. Not to mention Jon Jones has indicated that his upcoming fight against Stipe Miocic would be his last. And Ngannou has every incentive to continue boxing after the WBC’s upcoming move.

Ngannou to be ranked by the WBC

According to a report, Francis Ngannou will be ranked at no. 10 in the WBC’s heavyweight list. This means he can fight for the WBC title, which was not at stake in the Fury fight mainly because the sanctioning body did not rank Ngannou. However, if the WBC board goes through with this, it would clear the way for him to rematch Fury (or Oleksandr Usyk if the Ukrainian defeats Tyson Fury in their upcoming unification bout).

Also Read: Post UFC 295, Dana White Accused of Stalling Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou in Co-Promotion With PFL Despite Several Trials

But many in the boxing world are outraged that Ngannou is getting ranked in the top ten based on one performance. However, it is important to remember that the mixed martial artist was fighting and managed to knock down the lineal and WBC heavyweight champion of the world. Which makes him an automatic title contender. What do you think about Ngannou potentially being ranked in the WBC’s top ten heavyweight list?

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