Francis Ngannou vs Tyson Fury: Calls Made for Blockbuster Fight to Happen After MMA Star's Release

• Francis Ngannou is a free agent after he was released by the UFC and stripped of his title.
• Tyson Fury previously called Ngannou a coward and accused him of not wanting to fight in an exhibition bout.
• Ngannou's former training partner, Sean Strickland, believes that a fight between Fury and The Predator would bring in lots of money.

What does the future hold for Francis Ngannou?

That's the question many are asking following the shock announcement that the Cameroonian MMA star was released from the UFC.

The former Heavyweight champion was stripped of his title and a match between Jon Jones and Ciryl Gane has since been announced for the vacant belt.

The Predator might be a free agent at the moment, but don't expect that to last for long. As noted by SportBible, many are calling for Ngannou to enter the boxing world and fight Tyson Fury.

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The former UFC champion has previously spoken of his love for boxing and how he always wanted to get into the sport.

With his status as a free agent now confirmed, fans and fellow fighters believe it's the perfect time for The Predator and The Gypsy King to mix it up.

UFC Middleweight fighter Sean Strickland is one person who is excited about the prospect of the two heavyweights going at it.

While admitting that he was disappointed to see his teammate leave the organization, he knows a fight between Fury and Ngannou would be big money, SportsKeeda reported.

"It's disappointing that he parted ways, but I hope that him and Tyson Fury fight for a lot of money. That's a fight we deserve," he said.

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Is Fury vs Ngannou possible?

Not only is the fight possible, but it has also been talked about before.

Fury called out Ngannou in 2022, challenging him to a crossover fight, MMA Fighting reported. Ngannou was rehabbing his surgically repaired knee at the time and couldn't compete, but that didn't stop the Gypsy King from alluding that Ngannou was a coward.

The match would have been an exhibition bout because Ngannou was still contracted to the UFC at that stage and Fury was 'retired'.

The rise of Francis Ngannou

Francis Ngannou is one of the most popular and feared fighters in the world, but the former UFC heavyweight title holder didn't have an easy road to get to where he is.

Nicknamed 'The Predator', Ngannou was born in Batié, Cameroon and grew up in poverty with no formal education, Sports Brief previously reported.

As he recalled in an interview with Joe Rogan, he had to search for food in bins as a youngster, often 'fighting' with rats for the scraps.