Francis Ngannou says his team is in contact with Tyson Fury for boxing superfight, hoping for summer showdown

Francis Ngannou says his team has been in contact with Tyson Fury’s team about setting up their much-discussed superfight.

Earlier this month, Ngannou officially parted ways with the UFC after he and the promotion were unable to come to terms on a new deal. One of the key requests from Ngannou during the negotiations was the ability to pursue boxing bouts while still under UFC contract. Now a free agent, Ngannou and his team are free to pursue any fights they want, and the former UFC heavyweight champion says they’re already working on the biggest one of all.

“I’ve talked to somebody, some of [Tyson Fury’s] advisors, but they’re working on a fight with [Oleksandr] Usyk in April,” Ngannou told TMZ Sports. “So, until then, he will not be free. But I’m trying to see if we can have an agreement before that fight.

“That will also give me some time to get prepared for a boxing fight. So I have no problem with the timeline that I’m expecting, that I hope will be sometime in June, July, which is doable. So let’s see. I think it’s too early to make a conclusion. It’s too early to say anything about it but it’s definitely something that we’re looking into.”

For over a year, Ngannou and Fury have been building interest in a superfight between the two, with Ngannou even showing up ringside for Fury’s TKO victory over Dillian Whyte in April. Earlier this week, Fury renewed his interest in the fight, calling out Ngannou for a bout in four-ounce gloves. Ngannou is still obviously interested in the fight, though he has also thrown out Anthony Joshua as a possible opponent, if he cannot come to terms with Fury, and while “The Predator” still believes that’s an option, he thinks the Fury fight will ultimately get made.

“We’ve been talking about this fight the past two years,” Ngannou said. “A little over two years. I think at this point, the people are waiting for this fight and talking about this fight more than the Joshua fight, although the Joshua fight is still a massive fight. I would say both fights would be in the same magnitude of fight, but we are kind of advanced and willing to fight with Tyson Fury, and that looks like the way to go.”

While nothing is official for a Fury vs. Usyk fight, things do seem to be trending towards a spring bout between the two champions. Ngannou, meanwhile, last fought at UFC UFC 270, defending his heavyweight title against interim champion Ciryl Gane.