That seemed to be the mentality of Francis Ngannou as he discussed his boxing aspirations in a recent interview on the MMA Hour.
Fresh off his impressive showing against Tyson Fury, Ngannou made it clear he has lofty goals in the sweet science. “I’m a dreamer. A dreamer doesn’t have limits,” Ngannou proclaimed. “I was dreaming even more than just one fight with Fury.”
Though he lost by decision against the heavyweight champ, Ngannou proved his boxing skills are legit. He earned Fury’s respect and left fans wanting more.
But Ngannou is not satisfied with just one blockbuster crossover fight. He wants to become a major force in boxing long-term.
“My problem is I feel forced to only fulfill an MMA contract,” Ngannou explained. “I want freedom to box more regularly.”
After fighting under restrictive UFC contracts, Ngannou is ready to spread his wings as a free agent boxer. And he has an entire sport in his crosshairs.
“Why retire without testing my full potential?” Ngannou mused. “It would be a shame to never know my limits.”
Ngannou already showed he won’t limit himself to MMA. And now his sights are set on conquering boxing’s heavyweight division.
“Dreaming is free. So why not dream for the sky?” Ngannou said. It’s clear he imagines standing atop the boxing world.
With his freak athleticism, massive power, and improving skills, Ngannou just may turn his lofty boxing dreams into reality. The scariest part? He’s really just getting started.
Strap in, the Francis Ngannou boxing experience is about to take flight. And he’s aiming right for the stars.
Ngannou notes that his contract contains a rematch clause with Fury within one year, which would be October 2024 based on their first event happening in October 2023. However, he acknowledges that the Fury vs Usyk rematch clause may stipulate an even sooner timeframe, which could take precedence over his rematch with Fury depending on the sequence of wins/losses amongst the boxers
By the looks of things, it might just happen that we see the former UFC heavyweight champion box twice this year and perhaps not even return to MMA.