Francis Ngannou’s Return to Boxing Should be Alarming, UFC Legend Says

Francis Ngannou’s planned return to the boxing ring raises alarm bells for UFC legend and former two-weight UFC champion Daniel Cormier.

Ngannou left the UFC to explore greater financial opportunities for a boxing swing, including a 10-round loss to Tyson Fury in which he scored a shock knockdown against the Brit, which thus earned him a second payday in boxing against Anthony Joshua. Ngannou lost the Joshua bout by vicious, second-round stoppage.

The Cameroon puncher returned to mixed martial arts for a PFL championship bout against Renan Ferreira but, since then, has expressed interest in a third boxing-rules contest. A fight against boxing’s thunderous puncher Deontay Wilder could be on the cards. Regardless of opponent, it’s something Cormier would seemingly advise against.

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Francis Ngannou’s Return to Boxing Troubles Dan Cormier

Speaking on his official YouTube channel, Cormier said Joshua “felt less of a threat” from Ngannou as the former UFC star turned, what Cormier called, “one of the most passive boxers in the world” into someone ready to attack with aplomb. “He didn’t feel the threat because of the lack of experience that Francis had in boxing.”

Cormier continued: “Sure, he’s going to make a boat load of money [in boxing], he always does, but at what point do you go [I don’t know] because if you ask me it would seem like he’s up against it again.

“Maybe he’s just the biggest, baddest man on the planet that we all believe in and he doesn’t care that he’s up against it, and he wants to prove everyone wrong like he did the first time when he fought Tyson Fury, and he fought him to a very close fight.

“But we cannot ignore the visuals of what we saw the last time, especially when he came back to MMA and fought so well.”

Cormier said the optics of Joshua battering Ngannou with relative ease — using kills that were both basic and yet fundamental to boxing — are hard to look past should he fight once again in that sport. “He looked lost” against Joshua, Cormier said. And Wilder is an even heavier hitter than AJ is.

“That’s what’s concerning to me. Because I know there will be moments in that fight with Deontay Wilder the way that he punches where he’s going to need to find safety.”

“I thought the most dangerous fight for Francis was Deontay Wilder because Deontay Wilder, who I was on the Olympic team with, is more free and also less technical. That’s the nice way to say Deontay Wilder’s boxing style. He’s less technical.

“So the punches may be loopy. He may throw them from odd angles. But he has this unbelievable power that allows you to go to sleep.”