Ben Rothwell (39-14 MMA) left the UFC in 2022 after an illustrious 13-year journey within the promotion, marking a significant transition in his career. His subsequent shift to BKFC saw him securing a commendable record of 2-0, indicating a promising trajectory in his new arena.
Francis Ngannou (17-3 MMA) is another esteemed figure in the MMA realm who also parted ways with UFC earlier this year due to contractual disagreements. He subsequently went on to join the PFL.
Despite their shared history in the heavyweight division within the UFC, their paths never intertwined.
Expressing his aspirations, Rothwell recently revealed his eagerness to step into the cage against Ngannou.
He stated: “If I got offered to fight Francis Ngannou, we would have a serious sit down with everybody involved because that’s the kind of fight that I think anybody, any of the guys in my position would want to take. I can’t speak for them, but I 100 percent would take that fight, yes. Indeed. It’s one of those fights that’s a legacy fight.”
Touching upon Ngannou’s recent foray into boxing, Rothwell acknowledged the Cameroonian’s commendable performance.
Rothwell reflected, “Francis did so good in his boxing match that I think that got really pulled away at this time. They’re talking about trying to match him up with other boxers to do MMA and stuff like that.”
Despite acknowledging the potential diversions in Ngannou’s trajectory, Rothwell remains keen on the prospect of facing him inside the cage.
He said: “He’s going to get pulled away to a totally different direction in that world. They’re already talking about him and Tyson Fury having a rematch, so it sounds like he’s got his hands full, but something like that would be fun to come back to, but outside that I’m having a lot of fun with BKFC and I got plenty to do here.”
Ngannou recently made his debut in the boxing arena, notably against Tyson Fury. It resulted in a controversial split decision favoring Fury. This incited discussions about future boxing endeavors for Ngannou, potentially altering his focus from MMA.