francis ngannou

Francis Ngannou Trains With Mike Tyson Ahead Of Tyson Fury Fight

by

Former UFC champion Francis Ngannou has been spotted training with former champion boxer Mike Tyson. Tyson has been helping Ngannou for his professional boxing debut against Tyson Fury next month. The fight finally came about after a war of words between the two men and Ngannou’s exit from the UFC. He is currently signed with the PFL, which gives him more freedom to pursue ventures such as the Fury fight.

However, even with the help of Tyson, there are few people who believe that Ngannou can actually beat Fury. Fury is widely considered one of the best active boxers in the world. Possessing a 33-0 record, Fury has long complained that his success has made it hard for him to actually schedule fights because no one wants to fight him. By the time these two fighters meet in the ring, it will have been 10 months since Fury’s last fight.

Read More: Dillon Danis Has Fans Thinking He Pulled Out Of Logan Paul Fight

Jon Jones Watches On

Of course, Ngannou v. Fury is not the hybrid fight everyone was hoping for. For many, this fight offer was a backup for both fighters. For MMA fans, Jones v. Ngannou still remains the dream matchup in their weight class. This is especially true given the claims that Jones intentionally avoided facing Ngannou until it was too late. However, for now, fans will have to settle for the two men facing off while Jones watches from afar.

Meanwhile, Jones v. Fury, the hybrid fight everyone was everybody was expecting, got as far as a fight offer. “I’ve been in talks with Francis Ngannou for a hybrid fight,” Fury said. “There’s talks of me and Jon Jones doing a hybrid fight as we talk, right now. I received an offer from the UFC yesterday, so you never know what’s going to happen. The future’s bright, for sure, and there’s a lot of options out there,” Fury told a Twitter Space back in July.

Read More: Snoop Dogg Stops By Conor McGregor’s Dublin Pub

[via]

The post Francis Ngannou Trains With Mike Tyson Ahead Of Tyson Fury Fight appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou Fight Scheduled For The Fall

by

According to Ariel Helwani on Twitter, there is a scheduled date for the anticipated fight between Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou. The fight, which is going to take place “under the official rules of professional boxing, with 3 judges ringside adopting the 10-point must system.” It will be in a regulation boxing ring with standard boxing rules implemented. They will go head-to-head in Saudi Arabia on October 28th, 2023.

This fight has been a long time coming. Tyson Fury is looking for a new challenge after running the boxing gamut. He has wanted to fight people outside of the boxing sphere because there’s honestly nobody else to fight. For Francis Ngannou, he last fought as part of the UFC, becoming the heavyweight champion and defending his title before breaking his leg. After a contract dispute between him and UFC President Dana White, Ngannou decided to remove himself from the league entirely.

Read more: Tyson Fury Claims UFC Has Sent Jon Jones “Hybrid Fight” Offer

Why Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou Could Be A Real Interesting Match

Francis Ngannou is now tied to the Professional Fighters League. He will be part of the PFL’s Super Fight Division next year. For now, he can focus entirely on this upcoming fight with Tyson Fury. The Gypsy King is still basking in the glory of being “the best boxer alive.” Both are expected to meet in the middle of the ring and go for an electrifying knockout of the other. The fight will no doubt be available via pay-per-view.

Per Helwani, “An agreement has been reached with Queensberry, Top Rank, and Ngannou’s promotional banner, GIMIK Fight Promotions, to partner with Riyadh Season to host the event.” That means Fury and Ngannou will get plenty of the proceeds via their promotional agencies. And while this fight will be an intriguing matchup, both fighters have called out a certain someone as a potential challenger. Jon “Bones” Jones, who just completed his triumphant comeback to the UFC, is the top contender. Fury says the UFC has sent Jones a “hybrid fight” offer for them to go against each other. And Ngannou has also said he wants a fight with “Bones.” Until Jon Jones agrees to either of them, at least we have Fury-Ngannou to look forward to.

Read more: Mike Tyson Comments On Potential Francis Ngannou-Tyson Fury Fight

[Via]

The post Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou Fight Scheduled For The Fall appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Ben Askren Calls Jon Jones A Hypocrite

by

The beef between Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou has really hit the fire in recent days. It all began when Jones called out Ngannou over his “baddest man on the planet” after Ngannou announced he had signed with the PFL. Ngannou responded, prompting Jones to tweet more barbs about the Cameroonian fighter.

The following day, Ngannou responded in more depth, saying that he would be more than open to fighting Jones. Furthermore, he claimed that his desire to fight Jones had been stymied by the UFC. “He came with strings attached. That’s what I would say. Jon Jones fight was coming with strings attached which was the thing that I couldn’t take it just like that,” Ngannou told TMZ.

Ben Askren Joins The Conversation

ATLANTA, GEORGIA – APRIL 17: Ben Askren enters the ring against Ben Askren for their cruiserweight bout during Triller Fight Club at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on April 17, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images for Triller)

Ben Askren is a formidable fighter in his own right. 19-2 in his MMA career, he is a well-respected figure in the scene. He weighed in on the beef, going as far as to call out Jones. “Why I thought, ‘Wow, this is really weird, almost hypocritical,’ is Jon chose to be inactive for three years,” Askren said on Daniel Cormier’s YouTube channel. “He chose not to fight. I don’t care what Jon does, (but) he chose not to fight for three years. Francis is in the UFC pretty much the entirety of that three years, and we’ve seen other people go up weight classes.” He continued. “‘The Stylebender’ (Adesanya) did it and lost to Jan (Blachowicz) and went back to 185. So, we’ve seen other people do it.

“He had plenty of opportunity to fight Francis Ngannou, so now Francis Ngannou wants to say, ‘I’m the baddest man on the planet.’ I think he should be able to. Can Jon argue he is also? Sure. But Jon can’t say, ‘You can’t do it.’ Because Jon didn’t fight him for three years. “I would choose Jon. I think Jon likely is the best guy,” Askren said. “So my point of contention is, Jon was inactive while Francis was in the UFC and the champion. Jon could have said, ‘Let’s fight because I want to prove I am, without a shadow of a doubt, the baddest dude,’ and it didn’t happen. Francis can still leave, they never fought, and if he wants to say it for a little while, he can say it. I’m not mad at him.”

[via]

Francis Ngannou Wants Jon Jones Fight

by

Jon Jones versus Francis Ngannou is the dream heavyweight MMA fight for many fans. After Jones made his heavyweight debut at UFC 285, winning the vacant weight class title in the process, fans hoped that a showdown with Ngannou.

However, it seemingly wasn’t to be. Ngannou, the former heavyweight champion, has been out of contract with the UFC since December. Furthermore, he recently signed with the rival Professional Fighters League, with a 2024 debut in mind. But while the chances of a fight may be down, they are certainly not out. The two fighters traded tweets after Jones made comments about Ngannou’s decision to sign with the PFL. Now Ngannou is eager to back up his call to action.

Ngannou Eager For Cross-Promotion Fight

Speaking with TMZ, Ngannou reiterated his desire to fight Jones. “I’d be on board. Listen, first of all, I always claim for this Jon Jones fight, I always wanted Jon Jones fight and then it seem like they didn’t want to make this Jon Jones fight happen.” Neither man has ever shied away from the idea of a fight. However, the UFC has never appeared eager to make it happen. Jones relinquished the light heavyweight belt in 2020 in order to focus on a potential fight with Ngannou. Despite this, the fight never materialized as Dana White appeared reluctant to match Jones’ asking price.

Additionally, Ngannou claimed that the UFC had withheld a fight with Jones to try and get Ngannou to sign a new contract. “Until they wanna use Jon Jones as leverage to play me and that wasn’t something that was going to happen. The Jon Jones fight wasn’t just coming as a fight,” Francis said, adding … “He came with strings attached. That’s what I would say. Jon Jones fight was coming with strings attached which was the thing that I couldn’t take it just like that.” Ngannou has previously claimed that the UFC’s refusal to provide health insurance and better sponsorship coverage is what led to him leaving the promotion. However, maybe Ngannou’s persistence will be enough to finally convince the UFC to let Jones step into the Octagon with him.

[via]

Jon Jones And Francis Ngannou Beef After PFL Announcement

by

Jon Jones is one of the most successful, and controversial, active MMA fighters. He is 27-1 in a UFC career that stretches back to 2008. However, his career has been overshadowed by a number of drug scandals that have seen him stripped of his titles on three occasions. However, his skill is unmatched. He held the UFC light heavyweight title from 2011 until voluntarily vacating it in 2020. After not fighting for three years, all Jones did was debut in the heavyweight division in March 2023 and take that vacant title.

Meanwhile, Francis Ngannou is one of the most formidable stars in MMA. Debuting five years after Jones, Ngnnou became a perennial title contender in the heavyweight division. He finally won the belt in 2021 and successfully defended it in 2022 before the expiration of his contract forced him to vacate the belt. However, Ngannou’s career is set to continue elsewhere after it was announced he was signing with the Professional Fighters League.

Jones and Ngnnou Beef On Twitter

Jones and Ngannou have never fought professionally, but the outspoken shared his thoughts on Twitter after news of Ngannou’s new contract. “Calling yourself the baddest man on the planet from across the street, who does that? Lol,” Jones wrote. It was clearly a jab at Ngannou, who quickly responded.

“Then cross the street,” Ngannou wrote on his own account. The PFL is a new promotion that is set to rival the UFC. While it has been beset by some early problems, there is a chance that it could become a legitimate contender. The signing of talent like Ngnnou is a massive step towards achieving that. However, Jones doesn’t appear to agree, based on his response to Ngannou.

“My man wins on Super Bowl, transferred to a top arena football league, and then claims to be better than Brady. That’s what I’m hearing right now,” Jones wrote. However, it’s unclear if this beef will progress beyond words. While both fighters now share a division, Ngannou’s move away from the UFC drastically lowers the likelihood that they two will meet in the ring. However, who do you think would come out on top if they were to square off? Let us know in the comments below. This could become a developing story, so be sure to check HotNewHipHop for any updates.

[via] [via] [via]

Francis Ngannou Reveals His Next Move

by

Francis Ngannou is a former heavyweight champion of the UFC. However, Dana White decided that he did not want to pay the man his fair share. Consequently, Ngannou gave up his title so that he could get more money somewhere else. Overall, it has been a difficult road for the former UFC heavyweight. Although, it appears as though he has finally gotten the contract he wants. According to TMZ, Ngannou has officially signed with the Professional Fighters League, or PFL for short.

In the middle of next year, Francis Ngannou will get to be part of the Super Fight Division. Additionally, he has been placed on their Global Advisory Board. This is a condition that was essential for Ngannou to agree to any potential deals. Moreover, he will be the chairman of the PFL expansion that is happening in Africa. This will also come with some equity for Ngannou, who has been adamant about growing MMA in Africa. In a statement, Ngannou explained just how excited he is for this new venture.

Read More: Francis Ngannou Challenges Cyril Gane Following Win Over Derrick Lewis

Francis Ngannou Is Back

“I am very excited for this game-changing partnership with the Professional Fighters League to continue my MMA fighting career in the PFL’s PPV Super Fight Division,” Ngannou said. “I believe in the PFL’s ‘fighter first’ culture and global vision including developing the sport in Africa. With that, I am also proud to announce that I will serve as Chairman of PFL Africa which will be the leading MMA organization on the continent providing great African fighters the opportunity to compete on a global platform.”

The PFL may not be as big as the UFC, but it certainly has some potential right about now. Jake Paul joined the Professional Fighters League back in January, and since then, he has acted as an ambassador for the brand. As it pertains to Francis Ngannou, there is no doubt that he is going to crush his position. At this point, the PFL can expect a lot more viewership in the future. Furthermore, they may just be able to bring in more fighters from the UFC. Let us know your thoughts on this move, in the comments section below.

Read More: Mike Tyson Comments On Potential Francis Ngannou-Tyson Fury Fight

[Via]

Francis Ngannou Reveals Plans For Deontay Wilder Fight

by

Francis Ngannou used to be the heavyweight champion of the UFC. However, that title now belongs to none other than Jon Jones. Jones defeated Ciryl Gane for the title, as Ngannou had previously been dropped by the UFC. Although Ngannou was willing to stay in the UFC, Dana White didn’t seem too eager to pay him what he was worth. Ultimately, it robbed fans of an amazing fight between Jones and Ngannou. Now, we can only sit and think about what this fight might have been.

Overall, Ngannou isn’t too pressed about not being part of the UFC anymore. This is because he is exploring plenty of other avenues. For instance, he wants to get into the boxing ring. In the past, we have reported on his desire to fight against Tyson Fury. Now, however, it seems like he has a different opponent in mind. According to TMZ, this adversary is none other than Deontay Wilder. As Ngannou explained, Wilder is willing and able to fight. Additionally, they are thinking of doing two fights, with one happening in Africa.

Francis Ngannou Speaks

“We are looking into [Deontay Wilder] because he’s available,” Ngannou said. “He’s ready for that. He’s very excited about [a fight with me]. He wants it. So, we are looking into that. That’s something I’m very excited about. We even discussed a potential one fight in Africa and one fight somewhere else. Why not even the two fights in Africa?” The last time we saw Wilder fight, was in October when he defeated Robert Helenius. It was his first win after taking two losses in a row to Tyson Fury.

Overall, this would definitely make for an interesting fight. Although, there is no doubt that Wilder would be the favorite. He has more experience when it comes to boxing, and he would be more agile in the ring. Regardless, UFC fighters have been experimenting with boxing quite a bit, so it should come as no surprise that Ngannou is going down this road. Let us know who you think would win, down below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for more news from around the sports world.

[Via]

Mike Tyson Comments On Potential Francis Ngannou-Tyson Fury Fight

by

Mike Tyson is one of the greatest heavyweight fighters in the history of the world. Although his career didn’t end how he wanted it to, Tyson is still an active member of the boxing community. He has come out of retirement in the past, and there is no doubt that he has had an interest in returning to the ring again. Mostly, however, when it comes to boxing, Tyson serves as a commentator and an elder voice who can help give people advice. It is a great position to be in when you are all of these years into the game.

Over the past couple of years, there has been a renewed interest in boxing. People like Jake Paul have certainly helped increase the popularity of the sport. Consequently, more and more people are trying their hand at boxing. Even UFC fighters are looking to transition over from the Octagon to the ring. One such fighter is none other than Francis Ngannou. In fact, there are subsequently some reports suggesting that he is in talks to fight none other than Tyson Fury.

Mike Tyson Reacts

Fury is the heavyweight champ right now, and some believe he has his sights set on Oleksandr Usyk. However, for now, Ngannou seems like his most likely upcoming challenger. TMZ recently caught up to Mike Tyson, where they asked the legend whether or not Ngannou could seriously win the match. Overall, Tyson did not seem all that convinced, however, he did acknowledge that “anything is possible.” As they say in boxing, everyone has a “boxer’s” chance of winning a fight. One good punch is all it takes to come out on top. However, as it pertains to Ngannou and Fury, one would have to consider Ngannou as an immense underdog.

At this point, there isn’t even a guarantee that these two will face off against one another. There is no contract set in stone, and it could very well be a waste of time for Fury. The only person who would truly benefit here is Ngannou, who is no longer with the UFC. Let us know your thoughts on this potential matchup, in the comments down below.

[Via]

UFC Drops Francis Ngannou & Strips Him Of Title

by

The UFC has released heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou from his contract with the organization following years of contractual battles. Ngannou is now free to sign with any other combat sports promotion.

UFC president Dana White confirmed the split at a press conference on Saturday. In addition to no longer being affiliated with the UFC, he has been stripped of the heavyweight title.

PHOENIX, ARIZONA – FEBRUARY 17: Francis Ngannou of Cameroon celebrates his KO victory over Cain Velasquez in their heavyweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at Talking Stick Resort Arena on February 17, 2019 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

“We’ve been working on a new agreement with Francis for like two years now,” White said. “We had gotten to a point where he was going to fight Jon Jones, many who believe he’s the best of all time for the heavyweight championship. And Jon Jones has been willing, and ready, and able to fight anybody. He didn’t care who it was. Could have been anybody in the heavyweight division, he was ready to go.”

He continued: “We offered Francis a deal that would have made him the highest paid heavyweight in the history of the company. More than [Brock] Lesnar, more than anybody, and he turned the deal down.”

White went on to accuse Ngannou of wanting to face lesser opponents for more money. Ngannou has yet to respond to White’s comments,

Additionally, White announced that Jon Jones will fight Ciryl Gane for the heavyweight championship at UFC 285 on March 4. The event will mark Jones’ first fight in the UFC since February 2020.

White said Jones was “ready, willing, and able” to fight any heavyweight opponent, including Ngannou.

Check out Dana White’s comments on the situation below.

[Via]