UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou has hit back at rival Tyson Fury following a recent âchickenâ taunt on social media.
It may not be top of the priority list for fans of Francis Ngannou and Tyson Fury, but these two men seem hellbent on battling one another in a mixed rules bout. The pair have been teasing the idea for months now, to the point where Fury even invited Ngannou into the ring following his knockout win over Dillian Whyte in April.
âThe Gypsy Kingâ initially stated that heâd be retiring from pro boxing after the win and while that may still be the case, heâs still open to other ventures - including a superfight against âThe Predatorâ.
Itâs often hard to know how serious both men are but in the following Twitter interaction, it seems as if Fury struck a nerve with the MMA star.
Fury: âThought you wanted some smoke @francis_ngannou [chicken emoji]. Lets do a propper fight! Wembley Stadium 2022â
Ngannou: âDon't you dare think that I take my eyes out of you. You're still my priority ! I'm coming for all the smoke. 2023.â
Ngannou: âWhat do you mean when you say "PROPER" fight? because I'm a real fighter, and I can make it a la carte for you since you can't handle it allâ
Whether itâs all for show or not, theyâve certainly succeeded in getting people talking.
The other options
Even though Ngannou is recovering from surgery and Fury is enjoying âretirementâ, weâre pretty confident in saying they could still return to their respective sports.
For the right price, Fury has said heâd be open to the possibility of taking on the winner of Oleksandr Usyk vs Anthony Joshua 2 in an undisputed heavyweight title fight. On the flip side of things, Ngannou has a string of potential challengers waiting to try and take the belt off of him in the UFC.
Alas, thereâs a good chance this is all going to come down to the best offer they receive, and a blockbuster collision at Wembley Stadium is bound to set the standard - especially given the problems Ngannou has had with the UFC.