UFC's light-heavyweight Jimi Manuwa hasn't given up hope of fighting either heavyweights Anthony Joshua or David Haye in the boxing ring.

Manuwa, aged 38, remains in preparation for his upcoming bout against Jan Blachowicz on March 17, billed on the UFC Fight-Night London card.

However, the fighter, who was born in California before moving to London with his family as a child, revealed that he could have ended up facing off against Haye, only for the veteran boxer deciding to to go ahead with the re-arranged fight with Tony Bellew, which is scheduled for May in an all-British showdown. 

"We were trying to make it happen but he (Haye) chose to fight Tony Bellew instead," Manuwa told ESPN. "Negotiations went really well. He wanted it and I wanted it.

"We talked after that fight [Haye's loss vs. Bellew] and thought maybe we'd do it in the first quarter of 2018, but obviously he got injured and I had a fight coming up. He's fighting in May and I'm fighting in March so we'll see what happens."

Having teased that he would relish a fight with Haye, Manuwa, who is ranked as fourth in the UFC light-heavyweight division, also wants to explore other opportunities should a Haye fight not be possible to compete in.

One of those potential options is something that interests Manuwa - pitting his wits against WBA and IBF world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua.

But, Manuwa has admitted that any fight with Brit Joshua would have to take place in a UFC Octagon, rather than a boxing ring. 

"There's not so many 'big names' in cruiserweight that would interest me," Manuwa said.

"And all the heavyweights are six foot eight and massive, like Joshua. I'd fight him in an MMA fight but not in a boxing fight."

Also, Joshua's 2018 is already looking pretty stacked, with Joseph Parker coming up first this month, and then possibly Deontay Wilder coming up later in the year.