On Monday, Francis Ngannou acknowledged that he still believes there is unfinished business in the realm of boxing, despite his recent defeat to Anthony Joshua.
Ngannou experienced his second loss in boxing a few weeks ago, suffering a devastating knockout at the hands of British heavyweight Anthony Joshua.
Prior to the bout, the PFL had announced Ngannou’s next MMA fight against Renan Ferreira, the 2023 PFL heavyweight champion, scheduled for later this year. However, following his knockout loss to Joshua, the status of his fight with Ferreira became uncertain, particularly in terms of timing.
During an appearance on Monday’s episode of The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, the former UFC heavyweight champion discussed his loss to Joshua and speculated about his future in combat sports.
When asked about his next move, whether it be MMA or boxing, Ngannou expressed uncertainty, stating, “Right now, I don’t know, but I feel like boxing now owes me something that I need to reclaim.”
Ngannou’s initial foray into the boxing ring was more promising, despite ending in defeat. He went the distance with Tyson Fury in a closely contested match, earning respect from many in the boxing community for his performance.
Now, Ngannou believes he must reclaim that respect and dignity through boxing, especially after the manner in which his fight with Joshua unfolded, stating, “The way that this fight (Joshua fight) happened was not the way it was supposed to. So now, I feel the need to compete in boxing to regain my respect, dignity, and everything else.”
