Can any fighter successfully juggle two combat sports at the same time? This is just what Francis Ngannou will be doing, or at least trying to do, as his next fight after his March 8 rumble with Anthony Joshua will see the former UFC heavyweight champ return to the cage. Ngannou, 0-1 as a pro boxer, signed a deal with PFL, and the 37 year old was at cageside in Riyadh yesterday, to find out up close who he will be fighting in his return to MMA.
And last night’s fight between Renan Ferreira and Ryan Bader didn’t last too long at all. Brazil’s Ferreira KO’d Bader in a mere :21 seconds, with him hurting his rival with a stiff jab and then sending him down courtesy of a big right hand to the head. Ferreira jumped on Bader immediately and finished him off with some ground and pound. Ngannou, whether he was impressed or not, left the arena before any face-off could take place.
But Ngannou now knows who he will be fighting after he has shared a ring with Joshua, this a fight Ngannou fully believes he will win, by KO. After that, Ngannou has made no secret of the fact that he wants a return fight with Tyson Fury. But again, can even as special, as once-in-a-lifetime fighter as Ngannou has been called, possibly juggle two combat careers simultaneously?
It seems we will find out pretty soon. And Ferreira was quickly calling out Ngannou, the Brazilian saying he is willing to fight him in either the ring or the cage.
“I am the real champion out here. I am the record breaker and record setter,” Ferreira said. “Francis, where are you? Let’s do this. I’ve always been ready to fight against the very best in the world, it can be against Francis in the boxing ring or in the cage, wherever he wants to do it.”
Ngannou sure has a lot on his plate, what with the AJ fight, the Fury rematch he hopes for, and with Ferreira now calling him out. And no doubt some fans will state how Ngannou should be fully committed to just the one combat sport, either boxing or MMA. But can Ngannou excel at both, pretty much at the same time!
Imagine if Ngannou showed real greatness by defeating Joshua AND Ferreira, before getting that return with Fury. Imagine…….