Tyson Fury was encouraged to putFrancis Ngannou "on his head" if a proposed fight between the pair progressed. I was.
Fury hinted at fighting the UFC heavyweightand proposed a mixed-rules bout contested under the rules of boxing, but both fighters competed against the very lightweight UFC. I was wearing gloves.
Ngannou's contract is set to expire after his heavyweight title unification bout with Cyril Gain at UFC 270 on Saturday, January 22nd.
And while it has been suggested that Ngannou may explore the possibility of a marquee match in the boxing ring, former WBO cruiserweight Enzo Maccarinelli has shunned him.
Maccarinelli doesn't think a Cameroonian-born fighter can compete against boxing's top fighters.
"This is what we are talking about. Is he switching to boxing to start his career or is he switching to boxing to fight one of his top boys?" Are they there?" Maccarinelli told Sky Sports.
"If he plans to fight one of the top boys, just like they have no hope in hell with him in a cage, he has no hope in hell.
"You say that Ngannou came to talk about [Anthony] Joshua, Fury, [Oleksandre] Usyk, and they put him on his head." I was thinking - [Deontay] Wilder, Joe Joyce.
"It's a different setting and people would say about his powers, but it's totally different." He recently toldESPN MMA that he was "definitely" open to trying boxing, indicating he was keen to sign a new contract with the UFC. Pursue both ways.
Maccarinelli understands why fans would love to see the man who recorded the most powerful punches in the world face his top heavyweight in the world, and any top fighter would I would love to have the opportunity to play against him.
"You can see him doing it. I don't think he will be an exhibition match. I think he wants to try," he added.
"But I can't see him jumping straight in with one of the big boys. One of the top boys wouldn't say no. If I was fighting , I would 100 percent do that, any boxer would.
"If you offered Dillian White to fight Ngannou, he would accept it. Ngannou was Joe Joyce. I heard you did a good job of explaining the sparring with , but again, sparring is sparring and fighting is fighting.
"[Floyd] Mayweather fought [Connor] McGregor. McGregor fans say, 'He's the hardest puncher I've ever faced.' It's just a different level.
"In the case of Ngannou, he came out swinging. But it was still dangerous.I'm not saying he can't punch because obviously he can.But he comes out swinging and these top boys like fury and fuck him
"He's going to wear out after a few rounds and have to change his tactics."
UFC 270 will be held in California on Saturday.
Ngannou vs Gane is headlining his five-match main on his card, which also features Brandon Moreno's flyweight title defense.
