UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou has called out Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder as he considers switching to boxing amid the standoff surrounding his UFC contract.
The Cameroonian fighter, who has publicly butted heads with UFC president Dana White over a variety of contractual issues, has demanded a boxing clause is added to his next deal.
Ngannou says he would like to ’cause some damage’ against a top heavyweight boxer after attempting to defend his UFC title on January 22 at UFC 270 in a unification match against his former team-mate Ciryl Gane.
‘This is going to happen either way, and even if I stay — even if or when the UFC and I, we finally, we finalise a [new] deal, the boxing part has to be into it, because I can’t see myself to retire without boxing.
‘Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder — I would like to test myself to their level,’ Ngannou explained.
‘It’s not the same sport, but although I’m the champion, so I’m in the top in this division, and at the end of the day, it’s just about throwing hands, throwing punches, having a good delivery system to throw those bombs.
‘And I’m sure that if I deliver my own punches pretty good, I can make damage [on them].’
This is not the first time Ngannou has called out the Gypsy King.
The pair’s feud started when the UFC champ called out Fury back in April and taunted him over the wounds he sustained in the Otto Wallin fight after he needed 47 stitches to sew up his damaged eye.
Fury then hit back, replying to the MMA fighter’s tweet by saying he would be ‘easy work’ after he had dealt with Anthony Joshua.
Fury also called out Ngannou for a fight back in April, taking to social media to express his interest in facing a new challenger.
