While many people seem to be interested in a crossover fight between Francis Ngannou and Tyson Fury, UFC President Dana White isn’t quite convinced.
The reality of the rumored bout seemed to get a step closer after Fury technically knocked out Dillian Whyte on April 23 and Ngannou appeared in the ring beside boxing’s heavyweight king.
Both fighters gushed about the projected fight while White later said on The Pat McAfee Show that he’s not on board with it.
“That fight’s definitely not a lock,” White said.
“… They’ve been talking about it and everything. I mean, guys, Fury is the best boxer – one of the greatest boxers of all time. I mean, you look at the guys he’s beaten and how easily he’s beating them. I don’t know, we’ll see how this whole thing plays out.
“I don’t love the crossover fights. I don’t love ’em.”
Ngannou made the first move when he expressed to the media that he’d like to box either Fury or Deontay Wilder before he wraps up his combat sports career.
Then, weeks before Fury’s fight against Whyte, Fury teased fans by tweeting a fake poster of him and Ngannou. Both fighters agreed that had business to take care of first.
It’s unclear how to fight would work, but Fury and Ngannou said it would likely be a hybrid ruleset.
White explained that he doesn’t like crossover fights because it’s a waste of “time, energy and money.” He believes boxing is a “massive” advantage for Fury.
But crossover fights isn’t new. Former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor fought retired undefeated boxer Floyd Mayweather in 2017. McGregor lost by TKO.
“The thing was, the Floyd-Conor fight took on a life of its own,” White said.
“I mean, everywhere I went that’s all people were asking me about. It got to a point where fans wanted to see that fight and the media wanted to see that fight, and you know me. People aren’t knocking our door down for this fight.”
White, meanwhile, left the door open for a UFC fight for Jake Paul.