Mike Tyson has offered some encouragement to Cameroonian star Francis Ngannou ahead of his hybrid boxing debut against Heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury.
Ngannou is the UFC heavyweight champion however he was stripped after a failed negotiation with the UFC.
He is actively negotiating his next move and debating big clashes against boxers including Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder in an effort to break into the boxing scene.
Many have warned Ngannou to enter the ring against such top competitors. However, Tyson has backed him up in an interview with TMZ.
Tyson told interviewers that “anything is possible,” hinting that going head-to-head with a boxer like Fury would not be the worst choice.
Fury is currently facing delays in negotiating boxing return against Oleksandr Usyk, the two are in intense negotiations. Previously, Fury disclosed that he’s interested in Ngannou after Usyk.
Joe Rogan still has Francis Ngannou’s best interests in mind even if Ngannou is no longer affiliated with the UFC. Rogan also wants Ngannou to get a big purse.
On The Joe Rogan Experience MMA Show episode #135, the podcaster said:
“I just want him to get that payday… [The UFC] offered him more money than any heavyweight, but I think the sticking point was that he wanted to be able to go off and do boxing. To his credit, he’s like, ‘Conor McGregor did it, why can’t I do it?’… Conor made $100 million in the Floyd Mayweather fight. That’s generational wealth.”