{"id":115434,"date":"2023-11-01T10:17:46","date_gmt":"2023-11-01T10:17:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2023\/11\/01\/anthony-joshua-deontay-wilder-jon-jones\/"},"modified":"2023-11-01T10:17:46","modified_gmt":"2023-11-01T10:17:46","slug":"anthony-joshua-deontay-wilder-jon-jones","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2023\/11\/01\/anthony-joshua-deontay-wilder-jon-jones\/","title":{"rendered":"Anthony Joshua, Deontay Wilder, Jon Jones"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Francis Ngannou contested his first pro boxing fight against Tyson Fury
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Francis Ngannou has the combat sports world at his feet after coming up just short against Tyson Fury in his professional boxing debut on Saturday.<\/p>\n

Despite being a massive underdog, Ngannou dropped Fury in the third round and convinced one judge he was the winner.<\/p>\n

Controversy over the\u00a0split-decision win for Fury\u00a0will continue, but what about Ngannou? Could he stay in boxing and take on the likes of Anthony Joshua? Or will he return to MMA and set his sights on big fights there?<\/p>\n

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\u2018Hopefully we get a rematch\u2019<\/h3>\n

Fury revealed before the fight in Saudi Arabia there was no rematch clause for either man.<\/p>\n

The Gypsy King just about held on to his undefeated record and is expected to fight rival heavyweight champion Oleksandr Uysk next, although a mooted 23 December date now seems unlikely.<\/p>\n

Ngannou, 37, clearly feels he deserves another crack at Fury, saying on social media: \u201cI\u2019ll keep my eyes on him. Hopefully we get a rematch. This time things will definitely be different.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fury\u2019s co-promoter Frank Warren has already floated the idea of potentially working with Ngannou in the future, suggesting a fight with Joe Joyce would be perfect for the new boxing star.<\/p>\n

A return to MMA set for 2024<\/h3>\n

Ngannou is signed to PFL \u2013 the Professional Fighters League \u2013 but has yet to fight for the mixed martial arts promotion.<\/p>\n

He confirmed the partnership in May after\u00a0leaving the UFC\u00a0but quickly announced he would be facing Fury in boxing.<\/p>\n

PFL executive Donn Davis said this week Ngannou was likely to compete in an MMA match in 2024, but he was unsure if that would be the fighter\u2019s next assignment.<\/p>\n

Davis also admitted there are not a huge amount of potential opponents for Ngannou in the PFL.<\/p>\n

Their 2022 champion is Croatian Ante Delija and the PFL holds its World Championship on 24 November with Russia\u2019s Denis Goltsov and Brazil\u2019s Renan Ferreira set to contest the heavyweight final.<\/p>\n

Such athletes might present competitive fights for Ngannou, but perhaps not \u201ccompelling\u201d enough, according to Davis.<\/p>\n

A Jon Jones super-fight?<\/h3>\n

After his acrimonious split with the UFC, it seems unlikely Ngannou will fight for the MMA promotion again.<\/p>\n

But that has not stopped rumours a fight with UFC champion Jon Jones could happen at some stage.<\/p>\n

The PFL says it is willing to work with its rival series, but UFC president Dana White has until now always been against the idea.<\/p>\n

PFL\u2019s Davis thinks Jones is the best option for Ngannou, but the UFC\u2019s two-weight champion is set to miss the next nine months after undergoing surgery on a pectoral tendon.<\/p>\n

Jones was due to defend his heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic at UFC 295 next week\u00a0before injuring himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s only one guy in MMA who is interesting right now for Francis Ngannou: Jon Jones,\u201d Davis said on the\u00a0MMA Hour.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverybody says, what about Stipe? Maybe. Give him a half a point, 1.5 guys who are compelling.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want to say who could put on a good fight for him. There are three or four other guys who could put on a competitive fight for Francis.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not talking about a competitive fight, I\u2019m saying compelling.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ngannou v Joshua?<\/h3>\n
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Francis Ngannou and Anthony Joshua have 35 knockouts between them in fighting<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Eddie Hearn was quick to jump into the discussion about who Ngannou could fight next over the weekend.<\/p>\n

The Matchroom promoter thinks a fight with two-time heavyweight champion Joshua could attract big numbers after Ngannou proved his mettle against Fury.<\/p>\n

\u201cNgannou has earned the right for a big fight,\u201d Hearn told\u00a0Boxing Social.\u00a0\u201cLet AJ go in and knock Ngannou out inside three rounds. Not a problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hearn, who has Joshua in his stable, also thinks a fight between Ngannou and the British fighter could take place in Africa, considering both men have roots there.<\/p>\n

Ngannou was born in Cameroon, while Joshua has a Nigerian family background.<\/p>\n

A fight with Wilder in the PFL cage?<\/h3>\n

A final option for Ngannou is inviting a boxer to fight him in MMA.<\/p>\n

Fury has toyed with the idea before, but Ngannou claims former heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder has been training in MMA for several months.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s something that can potentially happen,\u201d Ngannou said on the\u00a0MMA Hour.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing is set, but it\u2019s been something been coming to my attention, so that\u2019s something that makes sense. He\u2019s really serious about MMA.\u201d<\/p>\n

PFL\u2019s Davis suggested the pair could compete in a \u201cmixed rules fight\u201d which could see elements of MMA and boxing incorporated and take the pressure off Wilder when it comes to mastering the ground game like wrestling and jiu jitsu.<\/p>\n

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