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– UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou said he hopes to fight Tyson Fury in a crossover bout in 2023 and that there is a “70% chance” his next opponent will be the British boxer.
– WBC heavyweight champion Fury had suggested he would fight Ngannou when the pair spoke in the ring following the Briton’s win over Dillian Whyte on Saturday.
– “We both want this fight, that’s clear, and we respect each other,” Ngannou told “The MMA Hour” podcast Monday.
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– “Probably next year it will happen. I think it’s going to happen, it’s just a matter of our promotions, but we will sort this out at some point.”
– Ngannou, who defended his title with a win over Cyril Gane in January, said the potential bout could combine elements of boxing and mixed martial arts (MMA).
– “Make it a hybrid fight, something that makes it a little uncomfortable for him as a boxer,” Ngannou said. “Ideas like MMA gloves or fighting barefoot. I don’t know, we still have to figure this out.
– “I would say there’s a 70% chance my next opponent is Tyson Fury. On his side, I would say 90% against me.”
