Eddie Hearn coy on booking Anthony Joshua, Francis Ngannou fight, cautious of potential KO
Mega boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has stated that he is not keen on organizing a matchup between Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou.
Hearn, who similarly to Dana White, is recognized as a brutally honest promoter, does not give Ngannou much of a chance against top boxers such as Joshua or anyone in the top 20.
Speaking with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Hearn attempted to justify his stance against the potential matchup by comparing the technicality and boxing pedigree of Francis Ngannou to some of boxing’s elites.
“You can not in a million years with Francis Ngannou’s ability in boxing and pedigree in boxing go in and compete.”
Following a highly anticipated opportunity for a UFC title in Ngannou’s career, a prime Stipe Miocic briefly halted the Ngannou hype train with a humbling unanimous decision.
Following a consecutive loss to Derrick Lewis, Francis Ngannou discovered a new backbone in his persistence and went on to terrorize the heavyweight division until he was eventually crowned champion in 2021 following his redemption KO over Miocic.
Ngannou went on to defend his title once over an undefeated Ciryl Gane, which ended up being the last we’ll see of ‘The Predator’ in the UFC.
Francis Ngannou departed the UFC back in January of this year
The Cameroonian heavyweight could not agree on a new contract with the UFC which led to his release.
Ngannou was keen on being offered a significant pay rise which he deemed as a fair demand, and has since pursued a career in boxing where he is seeking a successful payday.
Although Hearn may not give him much of a chance, he recognizes that when it comes to heavyweights throwing gloves, power is inevitable.
“In that division, the difference is what you can do is knock someone out.”
Plenty of back and forth verbal interactions have occurred between Ngannou and boxers such as Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder, who have shown interest in welcoming Ngannou to the ring.
Hearn said he had a personal meeting with Ngannou where he learned the significance of his film-like upbringing and rise to where he is today, which gained his respect and admiration for his resilience.
“People need to be educated about what that man has been through and the story to get to where he’s got to.”
A return to MMA may be a possibility in the future, but what many fans are keen to watch is a boxing superfight where Ngannou’s sheer power will be on display against the best in the sport.
