After watching Francis Ngannou, drop Tyson Fury, the boxing Heavyweight champion on the floor in his debut match, Eddie Hearn is now eyeing a match between the Cameroonian and Anthony Joshua. Many who thought Fury would easily defeat ‘The Predator.’ Ngannou, however, proved the naysayers wrong by losing the fight by just one point.
In fact, this decision has been the subject of controversy since. After Fury received a black eye in the fight, he decided to shift his fight with Oleksandr Usyk to the next year, buying him some time for recovery and preparation. Now, Joshua’s fight with Deontay Wilder which was supposed to be held on the undercard of the above-mentioned fight hangs in the air. Hearn has thrown light on the potential fights Joshua might take up instead.
In an interview with iFL TV, when asked whether Joshua will stand inside the ring during the remainder of this year, Hearn was not so sure. January is the tentative month that we see Joshua punch it out again. Fury’s December 23rd fight got pushed, something Hearn already suspected. Regretting his risky decision, he said that a fight with Chris Eubank Jr. would have made more sense.
We might see Joshua on the canvas with Ngannou if it materializes. At least, Hearn thinks it is a brilliant idea. The time is not much of a concern for him though. January works just as well for him as February does. “I have exchanged messages with the right people all around to make that fight and I’ve just told him that we would be willing to make that fight and it is massive and that’s why I told them and it’s up to them really.” said Hearn about the Ngannou fight. However, he was certain of the Eubank Jr. fight, which he informed would happen in January in the UK. Dan Hardy, a former UFC fighter has predicted how a fight between the UFC Heavyweight and Joshua would unfold.
Former UFC fighter Dan Hardy believes Francis Ngannou has the potential to hold world heavyweight titles in both boxing and MMA simultaneously. Despite his loss to Tyson Fury, Hardy argues that Ngannou deserved the win and could compete effectively against top heavyweights like Anthony Joshua.
Ngannou’s versatility leaves him with options in both sports, with the possibility of challenging for a boxing title. The WBC has committed to ranking Ngannou in their top 10, putting him within reach of a title shot with a few strong victories. Hardy, who is also head of fighter operations for PFL Europe, sees Ngannou as a unique athlete capable of excelling in both boxing and MMA, making history with such a feat.
Joshua had been rooting for Ngannou to take down his longtime rival, Fury. Ngannou’s stupendous performance has opened multiple doors for him. With Joshua looking for a fresh opponent after his plans with Wilder fell apart.
