Tom Aspinall doesn't think Francis Ngannou should hang up his boxing gloves.
The games that followed Ngannou's stellar debut didn't quite meet his expectations. Ngannou, who will face another top-ranked boxer in the world, lost a split decision to Tyson Fury in October before suffering a brutal second-round knockout to Anthony Joshua earlier this month.
With this result, Ngannou will likely return to his natural sport of MMA for his next fight, making his PFL debut in late 2024. But Ngannou has no plans to end his boxing career there. Aspinall, a top MMA heavyweight, believes he would keep going.
“The punch that Francis Ngannou took was scary to watch, to be honest,” Aspinall said. OLBG. “He seemed to be sleeping for a week. It was outrageous. The punch he took was just a thunderous punch. What he does next is ultimately up to him. If I were in his shoes, I would go where the money is – and as far as I know, the money is in boxing right now, so I would. But I'm not Francis Ngannou, so , it's hard to say. A lot of mixed martial artists seem to think it's easy to transition to boxing. We punch, they punch, but it's not that easy. But That's not the case. I've done a lot of rounds with high-level professional boxers who have been boxing since they were 10 years old.”
Boxing has become all the rage for MMA fighters and celebrity influencers in recent years, so MMA can sometimes seem like just a prerequisite to following Ngannou's blueprint. Take, for example, Sean O'Malley's recent interest in boxing matches.
But Aspinall, the interim UFC title holder, is focused on his current journey. It's an appealing idea to step into the ring someday, but the timing has to be right.
“Obviously I'm interested in a boxing match, but it's towards the end of my career,” Aspinall said. “Right now I have a lot of work to do in the UFC, so I'm not interested in a fight like that. I have a lot to prove.”
Ultimately, Aspinall wants to win the undisputed gold medal, and that means challenging the title's owner, Jon Jones. Of course, that all depends on the outcome of Jones' rescheduled bout with Stipe Miocic, which is scheduled for once he is healthy enough to return.
Meanwhile, Aspinall wants to stay busy and defend his title. Ideally, it would be against Curtis Blaydes, the only man to beat him in the UFC.
“Jon Jones and Stipe have a bond with each other and we're not going to change that,” Aspinall said. “Right now, it's in the hands of the UFC and I've never been picky about my opponents. I've only ever told them the fights I want. I never said a fight. Blaydes wanted to fight me and I said, “Okay, okay, let's do it.'' that's it.
“Right now I'm just waiting. I'm just waiting for a call. I go to the gym twice a day and am in the middle of training as we speak. I'm not ready to go anytime. I like Curtis Blaydes, but I want to beat him professionally because he beat me when I was injured. I don't think “personal” is the right word. I don't know if it is, but it's personal. But that doesn't mean I hate him as a person. It's personal in a professional sense. I want that back. ”
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One and only.
Poatan.
Machine vs. Boraquinha.
art.
Cold kick.
company.
He used me in the first half, I'm not going to lie.
Smile at the gym.
stop it. Get used to it. strange.
| Sean O'Malley has issued a warning to fans after receiving a number of unwelcome visits to his family home in Arizona.
“People keep looking for my house, it's very annoying. I'd like to put a sign quite far down the road that says, 'If you cross this line…' pic.twitter.com/0hmVfsxCpJ
— Parry Punch (@ParryPunchNews) March 26, 2024
Vegas.
Tyra Santos (19-3) vs. Ilara Joan (11-8); PFL San Antonio, April 4th
Bruno Capellozza (15-7) vs. Sergey Birosteny (11-3) PFL San Antonio, April 4th
Julia Polastri (12-3) vs. Josephine Knutson (7-0); UFC Vegas 93, June 15th
garrett armfield (10-3) vs. Brady Hiestand (8-2); UFC Vegas 93, June 15th
From a financial standpoint, Ngannou should clearly continue boxing. But as a fan, I would love to see him return to MMA before it's too late.
thank you for reading!
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