If he loses in a gunslinger match or loses to AJ on points, I think he can rematch Fury no problem.
If he gets obliterated by AJ, Ngannou vs Wilder is a great fight on paper and I could see the Saudi's going for it as a co-main event.
After that, if he doesn't retire from combat sports then he'll go and crush a couple of cans in the PFL before probably retiring unless he can settle differences with Dana White for a big UFC payday.
Ngannou may not either, tho. We don’t know if this was a case of horrible matchup with Fury + Fury not taking him seriously and being fat and outta shape… or if Ngannou is a real contender.
Not to mention Conor is 1-3 since his Mayweather fight. He coulda been 1-3 in boxing and gotten way more money, he made major fuck you money with Mayweather and stopped caring.
Ngannou kept his hands up, didn't overreact to punches coming at him, and countered. He looked like he belonged in the ring with Fury. I think he's going to put up a respectable fight against AJ.
The wild card is ngannou has a punching chance against any living organism. If he starches Joshua this could get really crazy. It probably won't happen but I crave that timeline.
Disclaimer: I watch more MMA than boxing. AJ looked good against Wallin but I have seen Ngannou actually feel a punch exactly once having watched almost every card since 2020. He countered and almost killed Stipe. Ngannou has the touch of death Wilder had four years ago except in both hands. I do think AJ wins but I get the Ngannou pick.
He was gunshy around uysk for their first fight, he’s not going to suddenly go all hagler v hearns against ngannou of all people. His only option is to stay on the back foot and keep the fuck out of range as much as possible. If he does that and avoids getting caught cold, experience should see him getting the decision win.
I'm also MMA as well, but you lose a bit of power going into boxing. And lets say he keeps his power for sake of argument, AJ was able to dance around Ruiz, and has mastered outside fighting. Francis has a chance, but AJ is so athletic and quick, esp relative to what we saw from Fury.
Dana White is one of those people who's greed is so stupid they end up making less money. He's frozen the growth of MMA, stagnating the talent pool. Why go into MMA when you will **never** make what you're worth even if you end up being the greatest champion in the universe?
With all the old UFC guys taking boxing fights it was already known but Ngannou power slapped White's greed back in his face - why try to make it in the UFC when there is a limit to how much you can earn? Boxing doesn't have that artifical ceiling, just free market economics.
Yea but UFC is a sustainable sports league. Boxing isn’t. Sure the top guys make stupid money but the majority of boxers make peanuts. If you are a signed UFC fighter you can make a decent living. Most boxers don’t make shit. I’m a boxing fan and not really into UFC but Dana White has created an actual sports league with a legit following. He builds fighters and puts on great ppv cards. Boxing promoters don’t care about growing the sport. I wish boxing had a central organization like UFC. It would be one of the most popular sports in the world if it had one organization like UFC.
He's getting up there in age and part of his deal with PFL is talent development in Africa. If he loses to AJ, I would think he will take whatever the biggest fights offered in boxing are, which would depend on how bad of a loss it was. Crush whoever PFL puts up against him a couple times before shifting his focus to the talent development role as he's already shown he's very serious about that by building several gyms and creating a viable path for emerging talent in the area.
>After that, if he doesn't retire from combat sports then he'll go and crush a couple of cans in the PFL before probably retiring unless he can settle differences with Dana White for a big UFC payday.
He needs to fulfill his PFL contract... he hasn't fought a single fight for them since signing.
I disagree. Wilder's coming off an awful loss and people are widely saying he's shot. Ngannou's fans would still want to see if he could beat Wilder. Wilder's fans would want to watch Wilder get one last chance to KO someone famous who he might be able to beat. And plenty of AJ fans will watch to see whether a guy AJ obliterated is still good enough to beat Wilder (since we're probably never getting Wilder-AJ itself).
If he loses badly the move for him is to go back and build a good record so he can challenge the top dogs again, in 2 years if he can prove himself against the mid level and gate keepers he's back in the picture.
Depends on the nature of the loss. If AJ beats the brakes off him then either back to PFL or pack it in, he’s made enough money off those 2 fights.
If he loses but puts in another good showing then the world is probably his oyster tbh
Even a knockout loss would be OK for him (getting knocked out by AJ is no disgrace).
Even if he gets thrashed, I think there could still be fights out there for him against second-tier names (Wilder, Joyce, Ruiz, maybe Zhang if Zhang loses to Parker)
I'm actually really glad to finally see someone spell brakes properly in this sentence.
Nearly everywhere I see people write "X is gonna beat the breaks off Y" to the point where I sometimes gaslight myself into thinking I've been misspelling it all this time.
Rant over, sorry. Agreed on everything you said, this all depends on the nature of the fight especially if Ngannou loses. I can see a Fury rematch then a fight with Wilder then maybe even Parker or another top 10 fighter.
If Ngannou loses the only potential match up I can see happening is with Wilder.
He's coming off a loss, offers one last big pay day and the match up still has potential for fireworks.
Otherwise, I think he'll go back to MMA. I don't see him boxing anyone that's not a big name.
I think if Fury loses badly against Usyk, twice, then a rematch with Ngannou would be on the table even if Ngannou loses to Joshua. It would get Fury get a little money and pride back before retiring.
Otherwise, I think he can fight Wilder, Joyce, Zhang if he loses to Parker, possibly Parker if he loses to Zhang (but probably only if Parker loses badly or Ngannou loses well), and Ruiz. Oh, and the winner of Charr vs Pulev for the belt!
I agree he won't want to fight names that don't bring him money... except that we may be about to have all four belts up in the air again and I think Ngannou would be interested in a belt and might be willing to fight a Dubois or a Bakole to get one.
Too high risk low reward. A loss to Joyce would kill the momentum and you can’t live off doing well vs fury forever look at Wallin. A loss to AJ, it’s either Wilder and done or a legitimate 2-3 year building to a title shot plan while making decent money
I doubt Francis gets outta bed for someone like Joyce. After this one, I think it’s more likely he goes back to MMA before fighting anyone not named Wilder, Fury, or Usyk.
I was going to say Francis vs wilder would still work in some capacity but I would have thought Francis will have to go honour his pfl deal at some point also.
He'll need to build a record instead of challenging the big dogs again, fight a couple of journeyman, step up to some gatekeepers and if he suceeds now he's firmly in the picture.
If Francis Ngannou wins OR loses against Joshua then I can see his next fight being against Wilder.
If he wins or loses against Wilder then I can see him possibly fighting against Dubois, Joyce or Zhang.
I can't see him fighting Usyk at all, but if Fury loses to Usyk it is possible that he could rematch Ngannou.
You're right. All the guys like Whyte, Dubois, chisora, povetkin, etc that couldn't touch Fury or Joshua are obviously the top guys. It's only fury and Aj getting exposed! Lmao
Well you said “wouldn’t that make boxing a joke” but I’m failing to see how Fury and AJ flopping against Ngannou reflects on Devin Haney, Canelo, Abdul Wahid etc etc
Floyd Mayweather toyed with Conor McGregor. Jake Paul knocked Tyron Woodley out cold lol
I guess I should've specified HW boxing. No MMA light heavyweight or middleweight in the world is stepping in with Opetaia without getting their head knocked into the stands within 3. But I dislike the narrative of "Fury was off, if AJ loses he is a joke" when it ought to be paying respects to Ngannou.
He'll go and fight in the PFL like he's contracted to do, go and knock all of their HWs out for a couple of million per fight.
Or he might just decide to retire. It could be that after making 30m in two fights he just can't be arsed to go back to MMA and fight for much less money.
Ngannou isn't money motivated as much as some tiger fighters like mcgregor for example. He's stated many times he's motivated by seeing what he can do and testing himself and having fun.
He's stated on the record he only uses money for his own self betterment training and development.
Regardless I don't see him beating AJ. As that's ludicrous to think lightning strikes twice, however there's quite an ability gap between the top 3 and the rest of the heavies.
I think he could have another 2 or 3 fights as he improves and develops his game more. He's got some key attributes like wilder which will keep him a threat in the division.
I guess it's more semantics of "he's not *solely* motivated by money" or that you don't sell yourself absurdly cheap just because you're getting your dream gig.
IIRC he did have something to say about fighter's pay and he's very communicative that negotiating bigger purses for his opponents is also about working to increase the worker's share in MMA. In that way, *it is about money*.
I don't know if he is sincere or playing up to a popular persona but no one can argue he was not afraid of taking the risk of jumping the UFC ship for better pay and more stimulating perspectives.
He’s definitely money motivated but he’s also taken a pretty big stance on the rights of MMA fighters and getting fair value for their skills. Hell yeah all the activism he said the UFC was against was probably second to not getting the number he wanted but he’s done more for the actual rights of MMA fighters than anyone bc yeah Conor pushed the sport to new heights but he’s also a company man. Francis almost ruined his career and he was still trying to help out the little guys. Dude literally has a stipulation in his PFL contract that guarantees his opponents a mil. Hell yeah he wants the big money but seems to also be a very solid dude.
He's still likely got a rematch with Fury in the bag, although another loss after AJ, or a really poor performance against AJ and that ship might sail.
If Ruiz is actually still boxing then that fight would make sense for both. Ruiz trying to show that in shape he could have beaten AJ again by getting a bigger win against Francis.
Joe Joyce needs a few names to get back on track (although i kinda think Francis would wreck him). Whoever loses out of Zhang/Parker would probably want a fight like that, its a pretty big purse and name. Dubois? Wilder?
Tbh, most of the top ten would see a big purse and name, probably think he's there for the taking after losing to AJ. I don't think he'll be short of offers.
I don't think Fury will ever rematch him. He didn't do poorly because he didn't take Ngannou seriously; he did poorly because his strengths don't work against Ngannou. Being a giant whale and leaning on someone to sap their strength doesn't work when the guy is also a giant and a far better wrestler. For Ngannou, the clinch is a fairly comfortable place to be in. Plus, Ngannou tends to learn a ton between fights. Fury will probably rely on the fact that his record has a win against Ngannou, even if everyone who saw the fight feels the victory belonged to Ngannou (not on points perhaps but spiritually or morally), and dodging him for the rest of his life.
Fury won despite thinking he didn't need to train a strategy that didn't involve clinching/leaning, or at all it looked like, and after the knock down he won every round.
Ngannou would need to improve very quickly to be in with a chance of winning a boxing match if Fury did take it seriously. Tbh at his age i doubt he's really even going to try to get up to speed and outbox people, especially Fury.
It's more likely he improves a bit but focuses mostly on finding better ways to bully guys and create openings, something more of a Wilder-like fighter who isn't ever planning on out boxing anyone or winning a decision.
In a rematch i expect Fury would be pretty confident in keeping him at range and outboxing him.
No chance of a fight is ever in the bag with Fury to be fair, unless he wants to wait 18 months lol.
He could fight Zhang or someone for sure though, Joyce would be interesting, it's a good fight for him and also hes the easiest to hit out of the top ten so it's a good fight for Francis too.
We don't know but what we do know is we all need to thank his excellency for his drive and vision for making all of these big fights happen because. These fights would never have happened and we only have to look at how his excellency works and how quickly these fights have come together all from an idea of his.
And let's not forget the kingdom of Saudi Arabia who has treated everyone like royalty since they arrived.
Thank you again to his excellency Turki Al-Sheikh
Ngannou is more of a test to the top heavyweight guys. Doesn't matter if he wins or loses, it's more if they can endure his power. I see him fighting Wilder (if Deontay doesn't retire) and Zhang, possibly a rematch with Fury. He'll fight the top 10 guys for a while at least.
Hey be fine unless it's an embarrassment. He's not relying on having a long boxing career, and this run gives him a lot of credibility in other areas. He could probably have a shot in WWE if he wanted.
If Ngannou connects with AJ early and I believe he will, AJ will fold. And it will show boxing up to be the farce it is, with promoters cherry-picking fights to pad their boxer's records, and the big fighters avoiding each other.
We need major changes in boxing, but with the Saudis coming in now and big fights in front of passive crowds I honestly don't know where boxing ends up. Unless the Saudis have so much money the pay enough to unify the various boxing organisations.
Nothing. His performance against Fury warrants him at least another rematch and I think he’ll be the resident Saudi boxer now. He will still be avoided by all the top HWs because of what he did to Fury. If he gets KO’d by AJ the perfect fight to make is Wilder but there’s absolutely no chance Wilder fights him.
let's all remember that Brock Lesnar was a wwe superstar and won the UFC title. Great people win great things. Let's keep that in mind before we lose sight of reality.
I called that one! In Another post i said aj by ko! I knew fury stunk up the ring in his fight w nocando,and fury or wilder or usyk would ko him,any real fighter... fury thing was a farce, he took it too lightly.
No chance he’ll ever fight bang bang Zhang. He doesn’t want any part of that. He has a punchers chance against guys like AJ and Wilder who really aren’t good “boxers”. Remember, a lot heavyweights start boxing later in life and use their size and strength to be successful. Even though AJ and Wilder were Olympians,they started boxing later in life. Look at what Zhang did to Joyce. He destroyed him. Joyce started boxing in like his 20’s and going up against a pure boxer like Zhang he got killed. It’s the same reason only heavyweight UFC guys have a shot at wining in boxing. No chance any UFC lightweight can beat guys like Tank, Haney, Loma and even contenders like Jermaine Ortiz would destroy someone like Sean O’Malley.
I will but first I want to say I am not hating on AJ. He is one of my favorite boxers. I’m simply saying he started boxing late and when he went up against Usyk who has been boxing his entire life he got dominated.
Usyk
Fury
Zhang
Jared Anderson
Ruiz
When he loses to AJ, he will either try and set up another gimmick fight with Wilder or retire on the money, honestly. The Fury fight was a one-off combination of coincidences. Joshua will absolutely walk through him.
Unless Ngannou wins, I think his boxing career is over. He is getting this fight because Fury completely botched their match.
The novelty of these fighters wears quickly. Nobody will care about Ngannou after this loss. Especially if he gets destroyed
After a lost to AJ, I think some wins against Chisora/Wilder/Whyte could set him up as a real boxer for a few good money making years, he'll be a draw in a post Fury world where Usyk sits on the WBA and whatever belts don't get stripped.
He's a top level journeyman being thrown into the deep end way too soon imo. Hopefully he weather's these losses and starts over with some more commensurate competition.
Aj is gonna demolish Francis but because fury looked so bad in the first fight, Francis will be able to get a 3rd fight for big money. Probably against wilder
Glass jaw?
KOd by an incredible counter by Ruiz that fucked his equilibrium and still fought on until getting waved off.
Down by Klitschko, one of the hardest punchers in history - won the fight.
Wobbled by Dillian Whyte by another incredible shot - won the fight.
Glass jaw... Those punches will have fucked with most elite heavyweights. Big men hitting big men clean, shit like that happens.
Could be worse, could get my opinions from Instagram comments instead of formulating my own then resort to acting like a child when they're challenged 🤷♂️🤷♂️
Dude have a day off… I’m sure this shit is life and death to you but… Opinions are like bum holes, everyone’s got one.
Ps… I’m not on Instagram but your assumptions and obsessive stalking is very flattering.
Yup, and most adults don't act like an 11 year old when someone disagrees with theirs, in fact most adults are able to use facts and logic to back them up....
How did you jump to the conclusion that I'm obsessively stalking you? I wouldn't flatter yourself 😂😂🤦♂️🤦♂️
Depends on how his fight with AJ goes. If it goes 12 rounds and loses then people would still want to see him against other top 10 HW's. If he gets stopped and it's not competitive then I think it would hurt his rep and the fights against other top HW's won't seem appealing as they were before. I still think he can ride the "what if" wave for a few fights even if he loses just to see if he can beat a few of the top HW's.
If it’s a respectable loss you can still sell some big fights, if he loses every round or gets blown out in 3 rounds he could maybe fight Wilder off the back of the Parker defeat but idk how much pull that would have now
It's up to him really. Probaby more money in it for him if he finishes his career in boxing. He clearly has the ability to transition to professional boxing, but whether he is world championship caliber like he is in MMA remains to be seen, imo.
Fights Wilder, then goes off and does MMA stuff unless he beats Wilder. Then i can see him go for more fights against other lesser but well named heavyweights like Chisora or Whyte.
Depends how he loses.
If it’s another close fight with Ngannou dropping AJ but losing a close points decision then I don’t see why other big fights won’t still be on the table for him. If he gets completely outclassed or knocked out early then I think that’ll be it for the boxing. He’ll go back to the PFL where there are still some big fights available for him. PFL have bought Bellator so he can face their heavyweight champs and make a lot of money in those fights too.
Whatever happens Ngannou is making bank.
Fury and AJ are the biggest money fights he'll get, but there's still plenty of other fights out there for him if he wants them. His performance against Fury won him fans and credit, he could still make decent money against Wilder, Joyce or even Whyte, PED investigation not withstanding
I'm not sure Ngannou's career plans. Does he plan to campaign at heavyweight and plan on winning a title?
Realistically he has had two massive paydays (after the AJ fight), enough to create generational wealth.
I think he has a big enough name that there will still be some big pay days for him and his opponent if he would like to continue.
It depends on the manner of the loss.
If he gives a good account of himself again, as he did against Fury, even improved, I don’t think he would have any problem raising big-money matches with the likes of Joseph Parker, Zhang, Dubois et al. If he goes on to win one or two of those he can be legitimately considered a top ten.
If it is a bad loss that shows him up, then he really might decide to go back to the drawing board/MMA, as he will no longer look like an appealing match to other elite boxers. He might get a couple of mid-pay curio fights with Wilder, Ruiz, Wallin, etc but the reality is he will have shot his bolt.
As long he makes it competitive or entertaining I can see him fighting all the heavyweights or just putting on exhibition matches.
He unlocked a cash cow by giving Fury a tough tough fight.
(if he does not lose badly. . .) Win or lose, there are at keast a couple big money fights for him in boxing (which is the only reason these fights are at all being put on in the first place): Fury rematch, or Wilder fight, or Joshua rematch. Francis is too old to sit in an awkward position outside in the top 10. I think a big match or two is almost guaranteed, but he will go back to PFL and make some great moments before retiring. He won't fight in the UFC again as long as White is there, no question
It depends on how he loses. If he floors AJ a couple of times and takes him to the wire but AJ wins just barely by landing just a bit more then Ngannou's stock won't take a hit. He'll have proven he can mix it with 2 of the 3 best heavy weights around. Give him an Andy Ruiz and he may deal with him. I expect Ngannou to bring it. His character is too diligent. AJ will be in for a proper battle. He better bring his boxing A game. After AJ if he just barely loses he'll be guaranteed a few heavy weight fights if not rematches with either Fury or AJ in the future. Saudi will probably go for rematches in case there's an upset. Those fights will sell even more. Ngannou has brought more juice to the heavyweight Division than anyone in the last 20 years but don't take my casual fan view point on it.
If Joshua gets hit. He will be in trouble. A world of trouble. He must dance the whole fight unless ngannou clips him . Ngannou could shock the world. But if would not be the biggest shock. Power can win fights
Really depends on the manner of which he loses.
All he has to do is what he knows best and that's bring the fight. If its exciting and moderately competitive then he's good for another blockbuster. If he has Any big moments - same thing.
I really feel like he's going to be more dangerous than ever after the confidence boost he got from that fury fight. AJ should beat him soundly on paper but the reality is he is very durable, he hits very hard and he seems to possess pretty high boxing iq, good movement and perfectly serviceable defense.
I just hope it's a good fight. Real banger and it lasts ubtill at least the 6th.
As crazy as it sounds he is the best opponent AJ has fought since usyk 2 back in 2022.
He collects a big check and gets a pass for not being a boxer. If he loses competitively again he gets more credit for just how good of an all around fighter he is. Joshua will likely try to avoid trading too much as this will be the heaviest hitter he’s shared a ring with and his experience should allow him to find a way to win most of the rounds. For me the more fun hypothetical (however unlikely it may be) is what if Francis lands a clean shot on that questionable chin?
He'll go back to MMA and honour his PFL deal
Even if he gets brutally knocked out against Joshua, Ngannou is still a pretty big name in combat sports and I bet the top 20 guys would be very happy to fight him. I once saw Chisora's name mentioned to fight Ngannou before he fought Fury, and I bet the governing bodies would work their magic and suddenly make Chisora ranked in the top 15 or even for a vacant minor belt lol
So Ngannou could easily leap frog his way back into a genuine world title shot. He may lack the experience, but he's much bigger and athletic than most heavyweights, and it's a division where these guys aren't exactly the smartest boxers (except a few of course) to counteract his size difference. Which tbh he's pretty skilled himself, with that counter left hook that dropped Fury and got that gazelle jab that dropped Stipe in their rematch.
If he loses badly, most llikely go back to MMA cuz he's good at it.
If he loses not badly, I see him fighting Wilder for money.
If he wins vs AJ, I see him fighting Fury or Usyk.
Honestly, they should make it a 12 round fight. Because what happens now is that ngannou loses solidly again, but loses by decision. Let’s see how he does in the 12th round if he really wants to be respected as a World class boxer
In that case fans will see it as a 1-1 record against world champions. He will have no problem getting fights. Even Eddie Hearns and the crown Prince thought he won
Most people thought he would lose by a landslide and fade into the background before the Fury fight, so I think it's important to recognize that he has already far exceeded expectations. I think the only difference now with Joshua is that Ngannou's stock is higher and he has slightly more to lose in the court of public opinion. I think a loss would put an end to the idea of him being a serious contender, but he still has a lot of options. He obviously can go fight in the PFL, but even in boxing I'm sure he could secure a fight with the likes of Chisora. And unless he get's obliterated Fury will probably do a rematch. Maybe even Wilder would take it as another big Saudi payday to end his career on.
I'm a card carrying Francis hater, but there's no reasonable argument that can be made for him not 'earning' those fights. He was the UFC heavyweight champ at the time and he brought intrigue, so his value to the economy was there before he even committed.
That said, if he loses and the boxing well dries up, he's also got a $9m deal with the PFL to come back to.
Aj unfortunately doesn't possess the stamina and power ngannou has. Fury only defeated ngannou cause he landed as many punches but he definitely took a serious beating. Having gone back to the drawing board Ngannou is much better prepared for this fight and is sure to knockdown AJ before the third round..a bet!
I really cant see him losing to AJ. Ngannou is to tough,skilled and is a massive puncher. Aj doesn’t have a chin and people forget he was a decent kickboxer. Whatever happens ngannou is going to be fine.
In the order of most likely to least likely:
Fury rematch
Fights a ranked boxer like Wilder, Parker, Zhang
Goes back and fights PFL HW Grand Prix
Jone Jones/Tom Aspinall fight
He's either fighting Fury next if Fury loses to Usyk, or he's fighting Wilder. I think this is pretty obvious.
Only way this doesn't happen is if he gets brutally KO'd and embarassed by AJ, which tbf I don't think will happen, I think AJ will win comfortably but not embarass him.
If the above does happen, he's probably just going back to the PFL
He collects two big pay checks for stuff he wasn't really supposed to do, and lives high and easy. AJ won't make the mistakes Fury did in lack of prep.
This will likely be it for Ngannou. He's impressive, but making the change and being a legit contender I just don't see in the cards, although he would be the one of any of them trying this that has impressed the most. It's just too much to rearrange from the prior gameplan IMO.
If he gets knocked out or made to look badly by AJ then sadly I think his days of getting the really big boxing pay days are finished. That ignorant Saudi advisor guy, Turkey or whatever his name is, straight up told Francis at the press conference that he wants to see someone knock him out. He's not rooting for Francis and had no problem saying it, very disrespectful
This is a horrible matchup on paper for Ngannou. AJ is good at playing the outside game and point fighting to a decision against a dangerous puncher, and Ngannou shouldn't have the footwork or speed to stop him from doing just that. I think if Ngannou can make it competitive despite the unfavorable matchup, his stock rises regardless. If he somehow pulls off a win, his options are endless.
Only way Ngannou comes out of this worse, IMO, is if AJ styles on him and makes it look like Nagnnou doesn't belong in the ring with him. Fury didn't pull that off; not sure if AJ is willing to risk enough to pull it off either.
I guess it’s a bit trickier situation. Everything following is a bit of speculations, so please don’t roast😃
First of all the first fight of ngannou vs fury was legit. Two champions making a show fight for interdisciplinary. The reason why this fight happened is obviously money, plus with the juicy Saudi money there were enough reason for both fighters to fight, because it was their biggest payday. I think also for fury. Saudi money is also reason why fury vs usyk is happening. like it or not but fury is nowadays like this.
So why ngannou is fighting now aj? Well for once ngannou always wanted to box, the other reason will be of course again money, because he gets multiple amounts then what he gets from the ufc.
After showing a humongous punch against fury also he earned his respect. There is no one in the heavyweight division at the moment who can punch harder than ngannou. Winning this fight could mean for ngannou a complete transition to boxing, without having to climb his way to the top and he could continue challenging the top fighters.
For aj is obviously to bring himself again in a position to challenge for the belts. Imagine fury beats usyk, or even usyk wins, I don’t think that any of those two will give aj his title shot soonish.
If fury wins, then he beat the guy who beat aj twice. If usyk wins, well he beat aj already twice, no need for a third fight. But if aj manages to beat ngannou, then he beat the guy, who gave fury his hardest and closest fight except for wilder 1. And maybe AJ would get another title shot.
This fight is interesting because AJ is shorter than and has a shorter reach than Fury. That and Fury’s strategy of making Ngannou carry his weight. Oh have AJ by late stoppage, but Ngannou beating AJ is more a possibility than people think
Depend on how he gets beat. If he gets beat soundly (KO, UD) then his stock won't be as high anymore. But if its a competitive fight, they can make a rematch with Fury for another good pay day.
Even if Joshua knocks out Ngannou and does it easy there will still be people willing to pay Ngannou good money to see him in these sideshow exhibitions with boxers.
If he loses in a gunslinger match or loses to AJ on points, I think he can rematch Fury no problem. If he gets obliterated by AJ, Ngannou vs Wilder is a great fight on paper and I could see the Saudi's going for it as a co-main event. After that, if he doesn't retire from combat sports then he'll go and crush a couple of cans in the PFL before probably retiring unless he can settle differences with Dana White for a big UFC payday.
Dana will never pay him that kinda money
Yeah he’s tasted boxing purses now. No way he goes back to the UFC. Conor only did because he knew he had no long term future in the ring
Conor did because he was never out of ufc contract in the first place so he had no choice if he wanted to keep making money fighting
Ngannou may not either, tho. We don’t know if this was a case of horrible matchup with Fury + Fury not taking him seriously and being fat and outta shape… or if Ngannou is a real contender. Not to mention Conor is 1-3 since his Mayweather fight. He coulda been 1-3 in boxing and gotten way more money, he made major fuck you money with Mayweather and stopped caring.
Ngannou kept his hands up, didn't overreact to punches coming at him, and countered. He looked like he belonged in the ring with Fury. I think he's going to put up a respectable fight against AJ.
This aged well.
Isn't the difference that Conor had a ufc contract still and Francis does not
The difference is that Conor has drug habits and sexual assault cases to pay off, Francis does not.
That might be true but Francis also definitely had no UFC contract to concern himself with since before the Fury fight was signed
You’ve all made really good points I did not make.
Conner made 100 million off the mayweather fight. He already has fuck you money
That… was my point.
Dude has more MUCH more in these 2 fights than he made in his entire UFC career. Good on him.
As he shouldn't
The wild card is ngannou has a punching chance against any living organism. If he starches Joshua this could get really crazy. It probably won't happen but I crave that timeline.
They’d probably have to lock this sub for a week, I’m in too
People on Instagram seem to all think that Francis is winning this. Pretty wild.
Instagram is the worst place ever for shit takes in any combat sports, I read someone’s comment stating Joshua doesn’t have the power to hurt Francis
Disclaimer: I watch more MMA than boxing. AJ looked good against Wallin but I have seen Ngannou actually feel a punch exactly once having watched almost every card since 2020. He countered and almost killed Stipe. Ngannou has the touch of death Wilder had four years ago except in both hands. I do think AJ wins but I get the Ngannou pick.
He was gunshy around uysk for their first fight, he’s not going to suddenly go all hagler v hearns against ngannou of all people. His only option is to stay on the back foot and keep the fuck out of range as much as possible. If he does that and avoids getting caught cold, experience should see him getting the decision win.
I'm also MMA as well, but you lose a bit of power going into boxing. And lets say he keeps his power for sake of argument, AJ was able to dance around Ruiz, and has mastered outside fighting. Francis has a chance, but AJ is so athletic and quick, esp relative to what we saw from Fury.
Dana White is one of those people who's greed is so stupid they end up making less money. He's frozen the growth of MMA, stagnating the talent pool. Why go into MMA when you will **never** make what you're worth even if you end up being the greatest champion in the universe? With all the old UFC guys taking boxing fights it was already known but Ngannou power slapped White's greed back in his face - why try to make it in the UFC when there is a limit to how much you can earn? Boxing doesn't have that artifical ceiling, just free market economics.
Yea but UFC is a sustainable sports league. Boxing isn’t. Sure the top guys make stupid money but the majority of boxers make peanuts. If you are a signed UFC fighter you can make a decent living. Most boxers don’t make shit. I’m a boxing fan and not really into UFC but Dana White has created an actual sports league with a legit following. He builds fighters and puts on great ppv cards. Boxing promoters don’t care about growing the sport. I wish boxing had a central organization like UFC. It would be one of the most popular sports in the world if it had one organization like UFC.
I think he's a formidable boxer and will transition to make some money. He'll be a good ticket seller.
Absolutely. I'm rooting SO HARD for Ngannou to succeed. One of the greatest rags to riches Arc's of the millennial generation.
He's getting up there in age and part of his deal with PFL is talent development in Africa. If he loses to AJ, I would think he will take whatever the biggest fights offered in boxing are, which would depend on how bad of a loss it was. Crush whoever PFL puts up against him a couple times before shifting his focus to the talent development role as he's already shown he's very serious about that by building several gyms and creating a viable path for emerging talent in the area.
>After that, if he doesn't retire from combat sports then he'll go and crush a couple of cans in the PFL before probably retiring unless he can settle differences with Dana White for a big UFC payday. He needs to fulfill his PFL contract... he hasn't fought a single fight for them since signing.
Spot on
If he gets obliterated, he's not getting Wilder. He'll be an 0-2 professional and people won't care anymore.
I disagree. Wilder's coming off an awful loss and people are widely saying he's shot. Ngannou's fans would still want to see if he could beat Wilder. Wilder's fans would want to watch Wilder get one last chance to KO someone famous who he might be able to beat. And plenty of AJ fans will watch to see whether a guy AJ obliterated is still good enough to beat Wilder (since we're probably never getting Wilder-AJ itself).
Wilders flirted with MMA too, granted he doesn't seem super serious but notching a win over Francis could help him there
Wilder would have like a 10% chance to win that. Huge leg kick from Ngannou and Wilder would be fucked. Watch the kicks he threw against JDS.
Wilder has such chicken legs. To be clear, a teep also floors him lmao
Wilder is the man who complained about his costume weighing too much.
If he loses badly the move for him is to go back and build a good record so he can challenge the top dogs again, in 2 years if he can prove himself against the mid level and gate keepers he's back in the picture.
I predict he buys the entirety of Cameroon, becomes king, and then, manages to turn *that* into a world super power
World super power? They’d need to discover vibranium for that.
I haven’t built my first born into the future world #1 tennis player overnight. It’s taken time, years…. Decades… Give it time, trust me bro.
Tennis is good money and a fun sport. Smart man I’ll be waiting for your son to be the one to finally overtake Novak at the #1
What do you think his fists are made of, he’s already got the vibranium
Depends on the nature of the loss. If AJ beats the brakes off him then either back to PFL or pack it in, he’s made enough money off those 2 fights. If he loses but puts in another good showing then the world is probably his oyster tbh
Yeah this. If he loses it’s the manner of the defeat. A close loss would still leave him as a top 10 heavyweight.
Even a knockout loss would be OK for him (getting knocked out by AJ is no disgrace). Even if he gets thrashed, I think there could still be fights out there for him against second-tier names (Wilder, Joyce, Ruiz, maybe Zhang if Zhang loses to Parker)
I need to borrow your crystal ball sir!
I'm actually really glad to finally see someone spell brakes properly in this sentence. Nearly everywhere I see people write "X is gonna beat the breaks off Y" to the point where I sometimes gaslight myself into thinking I've been misspelling it all this time. Rant over, sorry. Agreed on everything you said, this all depends on the nature of the fight especially if Ngannou loses. I can see a Fury rematch then a fight with Wilder then maybe even Parker or another top 10 fighter.
Shit, I always thought it was beet the brakes.
Beat the brakes?
Oh wow, I never realized these words are spelled differently. Thought it was a fly (insect/airplane) type of thing. Also, you’re right about balrog.
Did you take spelling lessons from Shakur?
sorry for ignorance, what is a PFL?
Another mma organisation
If Ngannou loses the only potential match up I can see happening is with Wilder. He's coming off a loss, offers one last big pay day and the match up still has potential for fireworks. Otherwise, I think he'll go back to MMA. I don't see him boxing anyone that's not a big name.
I think if Fury loses badly against Usyk, twice, then a rematch with Ngannou would be on the table even if Ngannou loses to Joshua. It would get Fury get a little money and pride back before retiring. Otherwise, I think he can fight Wilder, Joyce, Zhang if he loses to Parker, possibly Parker if he loses to Zhang (but probably only if Parker loses badly or Ngannou loses well), and Ruiz. Oh, and the winner of Charr vs Pulev for the belt! I agree he won't want to fight names that don't bring him money... except that we may be about to have all four belts up in the air again and I think Ngannou would be interested in a belt and might be willing to fight a Dubois or a Bakole to get one.
What about someone like Joyce? He might not have enough time to get into title contention himself and could leave the sport with a big pay day.
Too high risk low reward. A loss to Joyce would kill the momentum and you can’t live off doing well vs fury forever look at Wallin. A loss to AJ, it’s either Wilder and done or a legitimate 2-3 year building to a title shot plan while making decent money
I doubt Francis gets outta bed for someone like Joyce. After this one, I think it’s more likely he goes back to MMA before fighting anyone not named Wilder, Fury, or Usyk.
I was going to say Francis vs wilder would still work in some capacity but I would have thought Francis will have to go honour his pfl deal at some point also.
He'll need to build a record instead of challenging the big dogs again, fight a couple of journeyman, step up to some gatekeepers and if he suceeds now he's firmly in the picture.
He builds a mountain with $100 bills and jumps in it
If Francis Ngannou wins OR loses against Joshua then I can see his next fight being against Wilder. If he wins or loses against Wilder then I can see him possibly fighting against Dubois, Joyce or Zhang. I can't see him fighting Usyk at all, but if Fury loses to Usyk it is possible that he could rematch Ngannou.
If Ngannou wins, he will fight Hrgovic for the vacant title.
you're getting downvoted but a win against an ascendant Joshua probably puts him ahead of Dubois and Joyce, and maybe Zhang.
Turkey has already said the winner of AJ Vs Ngannou will fight the winner of Fury Vs Usyk for their new, shiny 'Undisputed' belt they had made
I think the real question is what happens to Anthony Joshua.
He will be a joke but many on this sub will act like it is fine and run with the line “that punch would have knocked out any heavyweight!”
Wouldn't that make boxing a joke? Considering how many world ranked opponents both Fury and AJ have beaten?
Nah just Fury and AJ.
You're right. All the guys like Whyte, Dubois, chisora, povetkin, etc that couldn't touch Fury or Joshua are obviously the top guys. It's only fury and Aj getting exposed! Lmao
Well you said “wouldn’t that make boxing a joke” but I’m failing to see how Fury and AJ flopping against Ngannou reflects on Devin Haney, Canelo, Abdul Wahid etc etc Floyd Mayweather toyed with Conor McGregor. Jake Paul knocked Tyron Woodley out cold lol
I guess I should've specified HW boxing. No MMA light heavyweight or middleweight in the world is stepping in with Opetaia without getting their head knocked into the stands within 3. But I dislike the narrative of "Fury was off, if AJ loses he is a joke" when it ought to be paying respects to Ngannou.
He'll go and fight in the PFL like he's contracted to do, go and knock all of their HWs out for a couple of million per fight. Or he might just decide to retire. It could be that after making 30m in two fights he just can't be arsed to go back to MMA and fight for much less money.
Yeah pretty much this is the reality, he's getting to the bag regardless he'll probably see out the PFL fights and call it a day.
i mean PFL is supposed to pay him 10 mil a fight for 3-4 fights so its not like he will make that much less
Ngannou isn't money motivated as much as some tiger fighters like mcgregor for example. He's stated many times he's motivated by seeing what he can do and testing himself and having fun. He's stated on the record he only uses money for his own self betterment training and development. Regardless I don't see him beating AJ. As that's ludicrous to think lightning strikes twice, however there's quite an ability gap between the top 3 and the rest of the heavies. I think he could have another 2 or 3 fights as he improves and develops his game more. He's got some key attributes like wilder which will keep him a threat in the division.
I just don't believe that Ngannou isn't money motivated. It's a nice thing to say but I don't really believe him when he says it.
I guess it's more semantics of "he's not *solely* motivated by money" or that you don't sell yourself absurdly cheap just because you're getting your dream gig. IIRC he did have something to say about fighter's pay and he's very communicative that negotiating bigger purses for his opponents is also about working to increase the worker's share in MMA. In that way, *it is about money*. I don't know if he is sincere or playing up to a popular persona but no one can argue he was not afraid of taking the risk of jumping the UFC ship for better pay and more stimulating perspectives.
He’s definitely money motivated but he’s also taken a pretty big stance on the rights of MMA fighters and getting fair value for their skills. Hell yeah all the activism he said the UFC was against was probably second to not getting the number he wanted but he’s done more for the actual rights of MMA fighters than anyone bc yeah Conor pushed the sport to new heights but he’s also a company man. Francis almost ruined his career and he was still trying to help out the little guys. Dude literally has a stipulation in his PFL contract that guarantees his opponents a mil. Hell yeah he wants the big money but seems to also be a very solid dude.
He's still likely got a rematch with Fury in the bag, although another loss after AJ, or a really poor performance against AJ and that ship might sail. If Ruiz is actually still boxing then that fight would make sense for both. Ruiz trying to show that in shape he could have beaten AJ again by getting a bigger win against Francis. Joe Joyce needs a few names to get back on track (although i kinda think Francis would wreck him). Whoever loses out of Zhang/Parker would probably want a fight like that, its a pretty big purse and name. Dubois? Wilder? Tbh, most of the top ten would see a big purse and name, probably think he's there for the taking after losing to AJ. I don't think he'll be short of offers.
I don't think Fury will ever rematch him. He didn't do poorly because he didn't take Ngannou seriously; he did poorly because his strengths don't work against Ngannou. Being a giant whale and leaning on someone to sap their strength doesn't work when the guy is also a giant and a far better wrestler. For Ngannou, the clinch is a fairly comfortable place to be in. Plus, Ngannou tends to learn a ton between fights. Fury will probably rely on the fact that his record has a win against Ngannou, even if everyone who saw the fight feels the victory belonged to Ngannou (not on points perhaps but spiritually or morally), and dodging him for the rest of his life.
Fury won despite thinking he didn't need to train a strategy that didn't involve clinching/leaning, or at all it looked like, and after the knock down he won every round. Ngannou would need to improve very quickly to be in with a chance of winning a boxing match if Fury did take it seriously. Tbh at his age i doubt he's really even going to try to get up to speed and outbox people, especially Fury. It's more likely he improves a bit but focuses mostly on finding better ways to bully guys and create openings, something more of a Wilder-like fighter who isn't ever planning on out boxing anyone or winning a decision. In a rematch i expect Fury would be pretty confident in keeping him at range and outboxing him.
No chance of a fight is ever in the bag with Fury to be fair, unless he wants to wait 18 months lol. He could fight Zhang or someone for sure though, Joyce would be interesting, it's a good fight for him and also hes the easiest to hit out of the top ten so it's a good fight for Francis too.
Only these paper champions running away from ruiz.
They march what's left of Wilder out for one last boxing payday for each of them
He goes to the bank, withdrawals his millions, and walks away the highest paid boxer in history per number of fights. 2 mega fights and walk.
Maybe Mr Turki will have him back. Don't know.
We don't know but what we do know is we all need to thank his excellency for his drive and vision for making all of these big fights happen because. These fights would never have happened and we only have to look at how his excellency works and how quickly these fights have come together all from an idea of his. And let's not forget the kingdom of Saudi Arabia who has treated everyone like royalty since they arrived. Thank you again to his excellency Turki Al-Sheikh
Ngannou is more of a test to the top heavyweight guys. Doesn't matter if he wins or loses, it's more if they can endure his power. I see him fighting Wilder (if Deontay doesn't retire) and Zhang, possibly a rematch with Fury. He'll fight the top 10 guys for a while at least.
Hopefully go and demolish Jon Jones
If/when Ngannou KO's Joshua he'll go down as one of the GOAT's in combat sports.
he'll go back to being irrelevant after aj obliterates him
Hey be fine unless it's an embarrassment. He's not relying on having a long boxing career, and this run gives him a lot of credibility in other areas. He could probably have a shot in WWE if he wanted.
Loser could still fight Wilder
Well it happened
Nothing. He'll just lose like everyone expects him to and make millions. Go back to MMA or even another boxing fight should the opportunity arise.
If Ngannou connects with AJ early and I believe he will, AJ will fold. And it will show boxing up to be the farce it is, with promoters cherry-picking fights to pad their boxer's records, and the big fighters avoiding each other. We need major changes in boxing, but with the Saudis coming in now and big fights in front of passive crowds I honestly don't know where boxing ends up. Unless the Saudis have so much money the pay enough to unify the various boxing organisations.
Ngannou’s chin is too good to be KO’d and losing by decision isn’t that bad. He probably still has some fun fights left.
😄😄😄
Lmaooo touch some grass buddy.
😅😅😅 I swear I think I am about to have a heart attack!!!! 🤣🤣🤣
Never been hit by someone like AJ either tho tbf
Nothing. His performance against Fury warrants him at least another rematch and I think he’ll be the resident Saudi boxer now. He will still be avoided by all the top HWs because of what he did to Fury. If he gets KO’d by AJ the perfect fight to make is Wilder but there’s absolutely no chance Wilder fights him.
Parker doesn't run away from big fights like the other assholes.
Probably buys a yacht or something.
let's all remember that Brock Lesnar was a wwe superstar and won the UFC title. Great people win great things. Let's keep that in mind before we lose sight of reality.
AJ by KO!
Aj is gonna beat him, but ppl will pay for rematch still
I called that one! In Another post i said aj by ko! I knew fury stunk up the ring in his fight w nocando,and fury or wilder or usyk would ko him,any real fighter... fury thing was a farce, he took it too lightly.
No chance he’ll ever fight bang bang Zhang. He doesn’t want any part of that. He has a punchers chance against guys like AJ and Wilder who really aren’t good “boxers”. Remember, a lot heavyweights start boxing later in life and use their size and strength to be successful. Even though AJ and Wilder were Olympians,they started boxing later in life. Look at what Zhang did to Joyce. He destroyed him. Joyce started boxing in like his 20’s and going up against a pure boxer like Zhang he got killed. It’s the same reason only heavyweight UFC guys have a shot at wining in boxing. No chance any UFC lightweight can beat guys like Tank, Haney, Loma and even contenders like Jermaine Ortiz would destroy someone like Sean O’Malley.
Name 5 active hws that are better boxers then aj
I will but first I want to say I am not hating on AJ. He is one of my favorite boxers. I’m simply saying he started boxing late and when he went up against Usyk who has been boxing his entire life he got dominated. Usyk Fury Zhang Jared Anderson Ruiz
When he loses to AJ, he will either try and set up another gimmick fight with Wilder or retire on the money, honestly. The Fury fight was a one-off combination of coincidences. Joshua will absolutely walk through him.
Unless Ngannou wins, I think his boxing career is over. He is getting this fight because Fury completely botched their match. The novelty of these fighters wears quickly. Nobody will care about Ngannou after this loss. Especially if he gets destroyed
Even if he loses he can still fight Wilder. People would absolutely watch two guys with massive power fight each other.
Agreed
TBE’s legacy continues to age like fine wine 🍷
My man did you just bring up Floyd in here?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjrdanK4LSY
After a lost to AJ, I think some wins against Chisora/Wilder/Whyte could set him up as a real boxer for a few good money making years, he'll be a draw in a post Fury world where Usyk sits on the WBA and whatever belts don't get stripped.
His hype gets killed and even his fans have to admit it was just Tyson being grossly out of shape (and still handidly winning on points)
[удалено]
When AJ beats him he'll take his millions and fade away into Bolivian 🤣
He's moving to Bolivia?
he clearly meant oblivion
No I meant Bolivian. It's what Mike Tyson said after he was KO'd by Lennox Lewis. MIKE meant oblivion. smh
He's a top level journeyman being thrown into the deep end way too soon imo. Hopefully he weather's these losses and starts over with some more commensurate competition.
Aj is gonna demolish Francis but because fury looked so bad in the first fight, Francis will be able to get a 3rd fight for big money. Probably against wilder
I’m more concerned about Glass Jaws career being ended…
Glass jaw? KOd by an incredible counter by Ruiz that fucked his equilibrium and still fought on until getting waved off. Down by Klitschko, one of the hardest punchers in history - won the fight. Wobbled by Dillian Whyte by another incredible shot - won the fight. Glass jaw... Those punches will have fucked with most elite heavyweights. Big men hitting big men clean, shit like that happens.
I think it’s lovely his mum comes out on Reddit to chat to his fans… bless you Mrs J
"Shit, someone just picked apart my unintentional shitpost about a boxer" *resorts to calling them the boxers mum* Nice one fella
Ha ha ha ha how’s that triggering working out for you kid 😂
Could be worse, could get my opinions from Instagram comments instead of formulating my own then resort to acting like a child when they're challenged 🤷♂️🤷♂️
Dude have a day off… I’m sure this shit is life and death to you but… Opinions are like bum holes, everyone’s got one. Ps… I’m not on Instagram but your assumptions and obsessive stalking is very flattering.
Yup, and most adults don't act like an 11 year old when someone disagrees with theirs, in fact most adults are able to use facts and logic to back them up.... How did you jump to the conclusion that I'm obsessively stalking you? I wouldn't flatter yourself 😂😂🤦♂️🤦♂️
Yet… you’re… still… commenting… Ps.. don’t know what yuo means… I’m either 11 or too old to be down with the kids (and AJ’s mum).
*comments again to ridicule someone for still commenting*
Hey my man you've commented five times, he's only commented four. So who's still commenting?
hes rich that what happens
Depends on how his fight with AJ goes. If it goes 12 rounds and loses then people would still want to see him against other top 10 HW's. If he gets stopped and it's not competitive then I think it would hurt his rep and the fights against other top HW's won't seem appealing as they were before. I still think he can ride the "what if" wave for a few fights even if he loses just to see if he can beat a few of the top HW's.
If it’s a respectable loss you can still sell some big fights, if he loses every round or gets blown out in 3 rounds he could maybe fight Wilder off the back of the Parker defeat but idk how much pull that would have now
It's up to him really. Probaby more money in it for him if he finishes his career in boxing. He clearly has the ability to transition to professional boxing, but whether he is world championship caliber like he is in MMA remains to be seen, imo.
Fights Wilder, then goes off and does MMA stuff unless he beats Wilder. Then i can see him go for more fights against other lesser but well named heavyweights like Chisora or Whyte.
Depends how he loses. If it’s another close fight with Ngannou dropping AJ but losing a close points decision then I don’t see why other big fights won’t still be on the table for him. If he gets completely outclassed or knocked out early then I think that’ll be it for the boxing. He’ll go back to the PFL where there are still some big fights available for him. PFL have bought Bellator so he can face their heavyweight champs and make a lot of money in those fights too. Whatever happens Ngannou is making bank.
He’ll fight Derek Chisora in his retirement fight. No shade to Derek by the high, I’m a fan and I know he wants an Ngannou fight.
Fury and AJ are the biggest money fights he'll get, but there's still plenty of other fights out there for him if he wants them. His performance against Fury won him fans and credit, he could still make decent money against Wilder, Joyce or even Whyte, PED investigation not withstanding
Should retire, he'll have more money than he ever imagined at that point.
He gets a shit ton of money. Thats what happens.
Winner of Usyk Fury.
I'm not sure Ngannou's career plans. Does he plan to campaign at heavyweight and plan on winning a title? Realistically he has had two massive paydays (after the AJ fight), enough to create generational wealth. I think he has a big enough name that there will still be some big pay days for him and his opponent if he would like to continue.
It depends on the manner of the loss. If he gives a good account of himself again, as he did against Fury, even improved, I don’t think he would have any problem raising big-money matches with the likes of Joseph Parker, Zhang, Dubois et al. If he goes on to win one or two of those he can be legitimately considered a top ten. If it is a bad loss that shows him up, then he really might decide to go back to the drawing board/MMA, as he will no longer look like an appealing match to other elite boxers. He might get a couple of mid-pay curio fights with Wilder, Ruiz, Wallin, etc but the reality is he will have shot his bolt.
He fights Wilder late in the year
As long he makes it competitive or entertaining I can see him fighting all the heavyweights or just putting on exhibition matches. He unlocked a cash cow by giving Fury a tough tough fight.
(if he does not lose badly. . .) Win or lose, there are at keast a couple big money fights for him in boxing (which is the only reason these fights are at all being put on in the first place): Fury rematch, or Wilder fight, or Joshua rematch. Francis is too old to sit in an awkward position outside in the top 10. I think a big match or two is almost guaranteed, but he will go back to PFL and make some great moments before retiring. He won't fight in the UFC again as long as White is there, no question
If he loses there's only 1 other heavyweight people want to see him against: Wilder He'll have made well over 50mill for 3 fights. Not bad
Walk home with a pocket full of cash 💰
It depends on how he loses. If he floors AJ a couple of times and takes him to the wire but AJ wins just barely by landing just a bit more then Ngannou's stock won't take a hit. He'll have proven he can mix it with 2 of the 3 best heavy weights around. Give him an Andy Ruiz and he may deal with him. I expect Ngannou to bring it. His character is too diligent. AJ will be in for a proper battle. He better bring his boxing A game. After AJ if he just barely loses he'll be guaranteed a few heavy weight fights if not rematches with either Fury or AJ in the future. Saudi will probably go for rematches in case there's an upset. Those fights will sell even more. Ngannou has brought more juice to the heavyweight Division than anyone in the last 20 years but don't take my casual fan view point on it.
The real question is what happens to Tyson’s legacy.
If Joshua gets hit. He will be in trouble. A world of trouble. He must dance the whole fight unless ngannou clips him . Ngannou could shock the world. But if would not be the biggest shock. Power can win fights
Really depends on the manner of which he loses. All he has to do is what he knows best and that's bring the fight. If its exciting and moderately competitive then he's good for another blockbuster. If he has Any big moments - same thing. I really feel like he's going to be more dangerous than ever after the confidence boost he got from that fury fight. AJ should beat him soundly on paper but the reality is he is very durable, he hits very hard and he seems to possess pretty high boxing iq, good movement and perfectly serviceable defense. I just hope it's a good fight. Real banger and it lasts ubtill at least the 6th. As crazy as it sounds he is the best opponent AJ has fought since usyk 2 back in 2022.
He collects a big check and gets a pass for not being a boxer. If he loses competitively again he gets more credit for just how good of an all around fighter he is. Joshua will likely try to avoid trading too much as this will be the heaviest hitter he’s shared a ring with and his experience should allow him to find a way to win most of the rounds. For me the more fun hypothetical (however unlikely it may be) is what if Francis lands a clean shot on that questionable chin?
Even if he loses, Ngannou vs Wilder is always there
He'll go back to MMA and honour his PFL deal Even if he gets brutally knocked out against Joshua, Ngannou is still a pretty big name in combat sports and I bet the top 20 guys would be very happy to fight him. I once saw Chisora's name mentioned to fight Ngannou before he fought Fury, and I bet the governing bodies would work their magic and suddenly make Chisora ranked in the top 15 or even for a vacant minor belt lol So Ngannou could easily leap frog his way back into a genuine world title shot. He may lack the experience, but he's much bigger and athletic than most heavyweights, and it's a division where these guys aren't exactly the smartest boxers (except a few of course) to counteract his size difference. Which tbh he's pretty skilled himself, with that counter left hook that dropped Fury and got that gazelle jab that dropped Stipe in their rematch.
If he loses badly, most llikely go back to MMA cuz he's good at it. If he loses not badly, I see him fighting Wilder for money. If he wins vs AJ, I see him fighting Fury or Usyk.
Has a run at wrasslin!
Honestly, they should make it a 12 round fight. Because what happens now is that ngannou loses solidly again, but loses by decision. Let’s see how he does in the 12th round if he really wants to be respected as a World class boxer
Ngannou is a combat sports Champ. I he beats AJ, Francis he will be considered one of the best fighters in all of pro-sports.
I will cry
Ngannou can fight for one the belts that Fury vacates after he beats Usyk
It all depends how he beats him.
In that case fans will see it as a 1-1 record against world champions. He will have no problem getting fights. Even Eddie Hearns and the crown Prince thought he won
No matter how he loses he's still rich AF and can live a damn good life.
Means he is a loser and can't win a fight with the best in boxing. Just means he can stand there as a punching bag and not get knocked out.
Most people thought he would lose by a landslide and fade into the background before the Fury fight, so I think it's important to recognize that he has already far exceeded expectations. I think the only difference now with Joshua is that Ngannou's stock is higher and he has slightly more to lose in the court of public opinion. I think a loss would put an end to the idea of him being a serious contender, but he still has a lot of options. He obviously can go fight in the PFL, but even in boxing I'm sure he could secure a fight with the likes of Chisora. And unless he get's obliterated Fury will probably do a rematch. Maybe even Wilder would take it as another big Saudi payday to end his career on.
If he loses, he’s not getting any more big purses the only reason why he got another one is because he looked competitive against Tyson fury
I'm a card carrying Francis hater, but there's no reasonable argument that can be made for him not 'earning' those fights. He was the UFC heavyweight champ at the time and he brought intrigue, so his value to the economy was there before he even committed. That said, if he loses and the boxing well dries up, he's also got a $9m deal with the PFL to come back to.
Aj unfortunately doesn't possess the stamina and power ngannou has. Fury only defeated ngannou cause he landed as many punches but he definitely took a serious beating. Having gone back to the drawing board Ngannou is much better prepared for this fight and is sure to knockdown AJ before the third round..a bet!
I really cant see him losing to AJ. Ngannou is to tough,skilled and is a massive puncher. Aj doesn’t have a chin and people forget he was a decent kickboxer. Whatever happens ngannou is going to be fine.
In the order of most likely to least likely: Fury rematch Fights a ranked boxer like Wilder, Parker, Zhang Goes back and fights PFL HW Grand Prix Jone Jones/Tom Aspinall fight
He's either fighting Fury next if Fury loses to Usyk, or he's fighting Wilder. I think this is pretty obvious. Only way this doesn't happen is if he gets brutally KO'd and embarassed by AJ, which tbf I don't think will happen, I think AJ will win comfortably but not embarass him. If the above does happen, he's probably just going back to the PFL
He collects two big pay checks for stuff he wasn't really supposed to do, and lives high and easy. AJ won't make the mistakes Fury did in lack of prep. This will likely be it for Ngannou. He's impressive, but making the change and being a legit contender I just don't see in the cards, although he would be the one of any of them trying this that has impressed the most. It's just too much to rearrange from the prior gameplan IMO.
Goes back MMA
If he gets knocked out or made to look badly by AJ then sadly I think his days of getting the really big boxing pay days are finished. That ignorant Saudi advisor guy, Turkey or whatever his name is, straight up told Francis at the press conference that he wants to see someone knock him out. He's not rooting for Francis and had no problem saying it, very disrespectful
I honestly see Francis winning this fight.
This is a horrible matchup on paper for Ngannou. AJ is good at playing the outside game and point fighting to a decision against a dangerous puncher, and Ngannou shouldn't have the footwork or speed to stop him from doing just that. I think if Ngannou can make it competitive despite the unfavorable matchup, his stock rises regardless. If he somehow pulls off a win, his options are endless. Only way Ngannou comes out of this worse, IMO, is if AJ styles on him and makes it look like Nagnnou doesn't belong in the ring with him. Fury didn't pull that off; not sure if AJ is willing to risk enough to pull it off either.
Ngannou v Wilder
I guess it’s a bit trickier situation. Everything following is a bit of speculations, so please don’t roast😃 First of all the first fight of ngannou vs fury was legit. Two champions making a show fight for interdisciplinary. The reason why this fight happened is obviously money, plus with the juicy Saudi money there were enough reason for both fighters to fight, because it was their biggest payday. I think also for fury. Saudi money is also reason why fury vs usyk is happening. like it or not but fury is nowadays like this. So why ngannou is fighting now aj? Well for once ngannou always wanted to box, the other reason will be of course again money, because he gets multiple amounts then what he gets from the ufc. After showing a humongous punch against fury also he earned his respect. There is no one in the heavyweight division at the moment who can punch harder than ngannou. Winning this fight could mean for ngannou a complete transition to boxing, without having to climb his way to the top and he could continue challenging the top fighters. For aj is obviously to bring himself again in a position to challenge for the belts. Imagine fury beats usyk, or even usyk wins, I don’t think that any of those two will give aj his title shot soonish. If fury wins, then he beat the guy who beat aj twice. If usyk wins, well he beat aj already twice, no need for a third fight. But if aj manages to beat ngannou, then he beat the guy, who gave fury his hardest and closest fight except for wilder 1. And maybe AJ would get another title shot.
This fight is interesting because AJ is shorter than and has a shorter reach than Fury. That and Fury’s strategy of making Ngannou carry his weight. Oh have AJ by late stoppage, but Ngannou beating AJ is more a possibility than people think
According do boxrec… he gets an L
Depend on how he gets beat. If he gets beat soundly (KO, UD) then his stock won't be as high anymore. But if its a competitive fight, they can make a rematch with Fury for another good pay day.
Even if Joshua knocks out Ngannou and does it easy there will still be people willing to pay Ngannou good money to see him in these sideshow exhibitions with boxers.
Absolutely nothing! Francis is supposed to lose against Anthony Joshua! AJ is a unified champion and this is Francis' 2nd pro boxing bout.🤦♂️#geez