Former UFC champion Francis Ngannou is "crazy" for agreeing to switch to boxing for October's bout with Tyson Fury, according to unified middleweight champion Claressa Shields.

Ngannou, who relinquished his UFC Heavyweight title as part of his move to the Professional Fighters League (PFL) earlier this year, will make his professional boxing debut against the WBC Heavyweight champion in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on October 28.

Fury's decision to face the unranked Ngannou has been criticised by many boxing fans after the Gypsy King failed to reach an agreement on a unification bout with Oleksandr Usyk earlier this year.

Shields made the opposite switch from boxing to mixed martial arts in 2021 and has a 1-1 PFL record, meaning she is well-versed in the differences between the disciplines. 

Ngannou will be a huge underdog when he steps into the ring for the first time, and while Shields is excited to see him in such a high-profile fight, she knows he is at a major disadvantage.

"It's going to be very interesting fight," Shields told Stats Perform. "Francis left UFC because of low pay. He wasn't being paid properly as a champion, which I felt terrible for – he had a couple of injuries and everything. 

"I think him coming to the PFL, they can offer him a nice cheque and really honour that he was a UFC champion and that he's going to work hard to be PFL champion. 

"I'm happy that Francis is getting his just [reward], fighting against Tyson Fury in boxing. I think he's just so crazy. 

"All the girls in MMA, I think, are very, very smart. If they were to come to box me inside the ring, I would destroy them, truth be told." 

Ngannou is, however, known for his punching power and is being trained for the bout by Mike Tyson, which Shields hopes may help the Cameroon-born fighter keep things interesting. 

"Francis has great hands, but in boxing and in MMA, distancing and everything is completely different," she added.

"I just feel like I just want to see it. I'm excited about it, and Francis is training with Mike Tyson, so we may see some things we weren't expecting to see. 

"I just know that Tyson Fury is a really great boxer. He's strong and I believe Tyson's going to win the fight, but I can't wait to see what Francis does to move from the cage."

Fury has previously discussed the idea of competing in MMA, but Shields is sceptical, adding: "I heard Tyson talking about it, but I don't think he would get inside the cage. 

"Inside the cage, under MMA rules, he gets kicked, [opponents] take you down to the ground and knee you and things like that. I just don't see Fury doing it. But he's crazy, so you never know."

Elsewhere, Anthony Joshua says "positive" talks have taken place over a heavyweight meeting with Deontay Wilder following the Brit's one-punch knockout of Robert Helenius earlier this month.

While Shields is fond of both fighters, she feels compelled to back fellow American Wilder if the bout is made.

"I am a fan of both," she said. "Deontay Wilder's like a big brother to me and Anthony Joshua's the heavyweight I have a crush on because he is so gorgeous! 

"But it has to be the American Deontay. Even though I think Joshua has better skill, I think Deontay Wilder has just got dynamite in both hands and we've seen Joshua get knocked out before. 

"I know I'm going to be cheering for Deontay Wilder, he's like my brother."

Tyson Fury’s next outing will be against former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou in a major crossover contest on October 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Both combatants are widely thought of as the best heavyweights in their fields but while mixed martial artist Ngannou is renowned as a fearsome puncher, he is ultimately stepping into Fury’s world.

Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the talking points arising from a bout that has excited some, bemused many others and has been dubbed a clash to determine the ‘baddest man on the planet’.

Was this announcement expected?

The pair have traded barbs on social media for many months so it was not a total surprise, but it is underwhelming to a lot of boxing fans. Fury, the WBC champion, has seen negotiations for fights against WBA, IBF and WBO titlist Oleksandr Usyk and British rival Anthony Joshua collapse. An undisputed world title showdown against Usyk falling by the wayside is especially disappointing for the sport with each fighter blaming the other for talks breaking down. With Usyk and Joshua now tied up, Fury’s team have argued he was out of credible challengers so in steps Ngannou, who has risen to the top of mixed martial arts but never boxed professionally.

Surely there was someone more capable for Fury?

Usyk will defend his world titles against mandatory challenger and Fury’s promotional stablemate Daniel Dubois while Joshua has elected for a rematch against London rival Dillian Whyte next month. Fury was also linked with former world champion Andy Ruiz Jr, who seems to be leaning towards a fight against Deontay Wilder. Fury taking on a novice will grate with traditionalists but the WBC granted the self-styled Gypsy King permission to fight Ngannou without the title being at stake because there is “no official challenger”.

Is this a gimmick?

While Fury will not be defending his world title, his team have insisted this is not an exhibition. There will be three ringside judges present and the 10-point must system – the scoring criteria used in all of professional boxing – is being implemented. It remains unclear how many rounds are scheduled and if this will count towards Fury’s professional record. Fury’s co-promoter Frank Warren called this a ‘game changer’ but MMA stars crossing over into boxing has been increasingly prevalent since Conor McGregor faced Floyd Mayweather in a lucrative battle.

What is Ngannou’s story?

Ngannou left extreme poverty in his native Cameroon, where he worked in a sand quarry from the age of 10, to pursue a boxing career in Europe. He ended up homeless in Paris in his mid-20s but his potential was recognised in a gym and he was persuaded to switch his focus to MMA, rising through the ranks to become top dog in the UFC. Ngannou was stripped of his title in January amid an acrimonious departure from the UFC and has signed with the Professional Fighters League on an MMA deal only. This has opened the avenue for Ngannou to pursue his first true passion.

What chance does Ngannou have?

MMA fighters have not transitioned well to boxing, with McGregor losing to Mayweather in 2017 while Ben Askren, Tyron Woodley and Anderson Silva have been beaten by YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul. Going in Ngannou’s favour is his devastating power – he has highlight-reel knockouts few others can match – but the 36-year-old will be wearing bigger gloves against Fury. The Briton knows how to handle formidable punchers having beaten Wilder twice and has promised to stand toe-to-toe with Ngannou. This may open the door fractionally for Ngannou but in any situation he is a massive underdog. Fury is superb technically, can adapt to any situation and has shown he possesses frightening power himself.

What next for Fury, assuming he wins?

A frequent criticism of boxing is it is hard to distinguish who is the best fighter in a weight category given there are four major world titles although the sport has recently got its act together. There have been several undisputed world title fights in the past couple of years but the heavyweight division is the anomaly. Irrespective of who is to blame, this does not reflect well on anybody. Fury, who has attracted the most criticism, argues he is the greatest of this era but fights against Derek Chisora and Ngannou do not pass the muster. No ifs or buts for Fury, Usyk must be next.

Stipe Miocic will face the winner of Saturday's heavyweight title fight between Jon Jones and Ciryl Gane, UFC president Dana White has announced.

Jones makes his long-awaited return to the UFC at heavyweight in Las Vegas.

A former two-time light heavyweight champion, Jones is facing Gane for the vacant heavyweight belt after Francis Ngannou left the UFC as a free agent.

Ngannou beat Miocic and Gane in his last two fights before quitting, and Jones will take on the same pair in reverse order if he comes through Saturday's bout at UFC 285.

"He's absolutely the next one," White said of Miocic. "So, whoever wins on Saturday night will face Stipe next."

But there will be no blockbuster return for Ngannou, who White says will not be allowed back into the UFC.

"We negotiated with him for years," he said. "It's over. That's over. He'll never be in the UFC again."

Tyson Fury has challenged Francis Ngannou to "kick it up spicy in a cage" in a boxing fight refereed by Mike Tyson.

WBC world heavyweight champion Fury's team are trying to agree terms for an eagerly awaited unification bout with Oleksandr Usyk.

Fury revealed his return to the ring is "imminent" and a March date has provisionally been pencilled in for the Brit to do battle with Ukrainian Usyk.

Ngannou is set to pursue a boxing career after turning down a contract that would have made him the highest-paid heavyweight fighter in UFC history.

Fury and Ngannou have called each other out in the past and the 'Gypsy King' has laid down another challenge to the Cameroonian-French fighter.

He said in an interview with Seconds Out: "Francis Ngannou, I know you're out contract with the UFC.

"You want to earn some big boy money come see the 'Gypsy King' and let's do a big, big fight for the baddest M.F. on the planet.

"Let's kick it up spicy in a cage, four-ounce gloves, on the Queensberry, and let's have a badass referee like 'Iron' Mike Tyson. Did I just sell that to the world?"

He added: "If the contract doesn't get signed with Usyk next, the fight of the century in boxing, we'll do the Ngannou fight. Whether it's going to be in Las Vegas or Wembley, who will know. We'll know quite soon, I think."

Jon Jones will return to the octagon for the first time since February 2020 when he takes on Ciryl Gane for the vacant heavyweight title at UFC 285.

The fight for the March 4 event in Las Vegas was announced on Saturday by UFC President Dana White, who also confirmed that heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou – who many expected to be Jones' opponent – is leaving the organisation.

Ngannou has a 17-3-0 record, but White confirmed the Cameroonian wanted to seek other opportunities and the UFC has agreed to release him from his contract.

"We did everything we could to try and make this fight happen and try to give him a fight, but he has got it in his head that there are bigger opportunities outside of UFC with lesser opponents," White said, also confirming he had offered to make Ngannou the best-paid fighter in the history of the company.

"We're going to let him do that. We're going to release him from his contract. We're going to give up our right to match and he can go wherever he wants and do whatever he wants."

Jones will now instead face Gane, whose only loss in an 11-1-0 career came by unanimous decision against Ngannou in a heavyweight title bout at UFC 270 last January.

It will be the 35-year-old Jones' debut at heavyweight, having gone 26-1-0 (1 no contest) at light-heavyweight, before he gave up his title at that weight following a dispute over pay.

UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou is "70 per cent" certain he will face boxing superstar Tyson Fury in a crossover fight next year.

Fury defeated Dillian Whyte via a sixth-round knockout at Wembley on Saturday to retain his WBC heavyweight title and reiterated afterwards he intends to retire from boxing.

However, the 33-year-old, who improved his career record to 32-0-1, has not ruled out competing under a different format – including another shot at WWE later this year.

And Ngannou, who joined Fury in the ring after this victory over compatriot Whyte, is hopeful that a hybrid fight can be agreed with the Englishman.

"We both want this fight, that's clear, and we respect each other," Ngannou told the MMA Hour. "Probably next year it will happen.

"I think it's going to happen, it's just a matter of our promotions, but we will sort this out at some point."

Ngannou added: "Make it a hybrid fight, something that makes it a little uncomfortable for him as a boxer.

"Ideas like MMA gloves or fighting barefoot. I don't know, we still have to figure this out.

"I would say there's a 70 per cent chance [my next opponent] is Tyson Fury. On his side I would say 90 per cent against me."

Ngannou underwent surgery to repair MCL and ACL injuries earlier this year and is not expected to return to action until November at the earliest.

The 35-year-old, who retained his heavyweight crown with victory over Ciryl Gane in January, is so determined to face Fury that he will make it part of any deal signed with UFC. 

"The Tyson Fury fight has to be part of the discussion [with the UFC] – there is no other option," he said.

"The UFC is a great promotion and I want to keep fighting. The Tyson Fury fight is not my last fight, there's still a lot of fights out there.

"There's Jon Jones, there's the Stipe Miocic trilogy, there's big fights I can do in the UFC and I'd really like that to happen."

UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou will require surgery to repair MCL and ACL injuries, his manager has confirmed.

Ngannou retained his heavyweight title with a unanimous decision victory over Ciryl Gane in Anaheim on Saturday.

The 35-year-old got the better of his former training partner Gane for the first victory by decision of his 17-3-0 UFC career.

Ngannou then revealed he had actually torn his MCL and damaged his ACL while sparring in preparation for the fight.

His manager, Marquel Martin, told ESPN on Wednesday that Ngannou will spend some time resting back home in his native Cameroon and that the "plan" is to have surgery once he returns to the United States.

It is estimated Ngannou will be out for nine months recovering from the injuries.

"I continue to be amazed and inspired by Francis' heart and resilience," Martin said.

"Fighting on one leg to overcome all odds and remind the world he is the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. I think we can all agree he deserves some time to go back home and be with his family and countrymen.

"Upon his return, we plan on getting surgery and starting the recovery process so we can get him back to 100 percent as soon as possible.

"In the meantime, we hope we can find a peaceful resolution in these contract talks [with the UFC]. We'd like to thank all the fans for their continued support and belief in Francis."

Francis Ngannou plans to have two more fights in 2021 and has reaffirmed his desire to take on Jon Jones, whose future with UFC remains unclear.

Ngannou claimed the heavyweight title in style on Saturday, dethroning Stipe Miocic at UFC 260 thanks to a second-round knockout in a rematch of their meeting back in January 2018.

The 34-year-old made clear in the immediate aftermath that he is ready and willing to face Jones, a fighter he described as the GOAT of MMA.

A two-time former light-heavyweight champion, Jones has not fought in just over a year amid contract negotiations. Whether he returns or not, Ngannou understands he is now in a position to call the shots.

"I don't know what exactly happened between Jon Jones and the UFC, but I think there's something wrong, and I also think he handled it maybe a little in the wrong way," Ngannou said during an appearance on Ariel Helwani's MMA Show.

"Listen, that's not my business. There's a lot of contenders ready to fight. For the first time, I'm the man who's making the call.

"I don't have to sit down and wait for people. They're waiting for me, and I'm ready.

"I can choose to fight, and I want to fight maybe two [more] times this year. I hope that [Jones] fight happens."

Jones provided an update on his own situation via Twitter on Wednesday, revealing negotiations are continuing with the organisation.

"I had a brief phone meeting with UFC's lawyer Hunter [Campbell] a few days ago. As of right now I expressed to him that anywhere around eight to $10million would be way too low for a fight of this magnitude. That’s all that has been discussed so far," he tweeted.

"I'm supposed to be waiting for what their offer is going to be. Really hoping the numbers are nowhere near that low. I guess we will see what happens."

If Jones is not available, Ngannou could instead be set for a rematch with Derrick Lewis, who won a forgettable first fight by unanimous decision back in July 2018.

However, the new champion promises there will be no repeat, should the rivals go up against each other once again.

"I think we'll have this fight that never really happened. I will have to give the fans what they deserve," Ngannou said.

Francis Ngannou set his sights on Jon Jones after sealing a devastating knockout win in his rematch with Stipe Miocic to claim the heavyweight title at UFC 260.

Ngannou became the undisputed champion as he gained revenge after being outclassed by Miocic three years ago at UFC 220, the Cameroonian landing a brutal and decisive blow with a left hook in the second round.

And now the 34-year-old wants a shot at Jones, with the legendary American poised to step up to the heavyweight division later this year.

Ngannou lauded Jones as the GOAT of MMA, but declared he was ready for the challenge.

"In my opinion, Jon Jones is the greatest of all time in mixed martial arts. Him moving up is going to be a good thing," he said after his stunning victory in Las Vegas.

"He's a challenge I will take, and it will be a very good thing on the resume. But this time he is the challenger. I am the champ. He's coming up, looking for me.

"So I'm ready any time soon. Even summer, I will be here, ready to fight in July or August. Whenever they are ready, I'm ready.

"He said something, 'Show me the money'. Show the money and we'll go, baby. I'm here."

Miocic – who was coming off a unanimous decision win over Daniel Cormier at UFC 252 last August – was left stunned by an overpowering display from Ngannou, who got the job done 52 seconds into round two.

Francis Ngannou annihilated Stipe Miocic with a brutal second-round knockout in their blockbuster rematch to become the UFC heavyweight champion.

Ngannou was outclassed by Miocic three years ago, the Cameron fighter unable to take the title away from his opponent at UFC 220 in 2018.

But Ngannou (16-3) exacted revenge on Saturday thanks to his brutal KO of the titleholder at UFC 260 in Las Vegas, where a new champion was crowned.

Ngannou earned another title shot following knockout wins against Curtis Blaydes, Cain Velasquez, Junior dos Santos and Jairzinho Rozenstruik.

The 34-year-old dethroned Miocic (20-4) inside the UFC Apex, where he had the American fighter in trouble early in the second round after dropping the champion with a two-punch combination.

Miocic – who was coming off a unanimous decision win over Daniel Cormier at UFC 242 last August – was left stunned after being swarmed with punches on the chin and Ngannou followed with a hammer fist on the ground as the referee waved off the fight.

Afterwards, Ngannou talked up a showdown with former champion Jon Jones.

"It's a challenge that I'll take and a very good fight on my resume," Ngannou said post-fight.

"He's the challenger, I am the champion so he's looking for me. I'm ready to fight in July and August. Let's do it." 

In the co-main event, Vicente Luque stunned former welterweight champion Tyron Woodley, who was forced into submission in the opening round.

It condemned Woodley to a fourth consecutive defeat as Luque earned the biggest win of his career.

"I want to take this time also to call out Nate Diaz," Luque said. "I called him out in the past and he didn't respond. My style, it matches perfect. I'm going to go forward. I think Nate is a perfect fight."