Tony Bellew To Francis Ngannou: Stay In MMA And Not Join Boxing
Ngannou has expressed his interest in fighting WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.
The former cruiserweight world champion Tony Bellew is not a fan of the cross-over boxing feuds and wants Francis Ngannou to keep contesting in MMA rather than looking for a big-money fight in boxing.
On Saturday night, Ngannou was stripped of the UFC heavyweight title after he and the promotion failed to make any substantial inroads regarding his contractual agreement with the UFC.
After the UFC Vegas 67, President Dana White revealed Ngannou’s release from the company. Ciryl Gane and Jon Jones will now contest between themselves to determine the new champ on March 4 at UFC 285.
Now with the Predator no longer associated with the UFC, his dream of fighting in a boxing match could become reality.
Last year, Ngannou was ringside watching the WBC heavyweight champ Tyson Fury take on mandatory challenger Dillian Whyte. After the fight, Ngannou entered the ring and offered him an opportunity for a showdown.
“I don’t really care about what [it] would be. I just think it’ll be a fight against Tyson Fury. It can be in a phone booth or wherever [but] that fight will happen, or (even) in the rooftop – that fight will happen,” Ngannou said.
Ngannou has reiterated on numerous occasions that he has reached the stage of his career where he only needs one mega million-dollar fight, and it is only possible in boxing discipline.
But Bellew, the former world champion, believes he will be better off staying in MMA as he won’t be able to survive for long in MMA.
“Terrible shame! He will not survive in a boxing ring against anyone of any note. He’s the best MMA heavyweight in the world right now and he needs to stay within his discipline,” Bellew stated.