For his large frame ngannu was surprisingly fast: Francis Ngannou and Conor McGregor shadow boxing comperacing

Francis Ngannou and Conor McGregor shadow boxing comperacing. See how fast is Francis and how steef is McGregor.

Francis Ngannou not taking eye off next fight and making same mistake Conor McGregor did by looking ahead to boxing match despite talking up Tyson Fury meeting

Francis Ngannou has the biggest date of his career at UFC 270 and no potential showdown with Tyson Fury is going to get in the way of that.

The Cameroonian wants to sign a new UFC deal after his title defence against Cyril Gane on Saturday that allows him to also box on occasion, but thus far negotiations have not gone well. If he loses, though, Ngannou may well depart the company.

Ngannou says he wants to move over to the lucrative world of boxing

Due to a champion’s clause in his contract, he could stay with the UFC for another year should he win, but he still has his sights set on fighting Tyson Fury in 2023 whatever the case.

talkSPORT had a chance to speak to the UFC heavyweight champion, who was asked if Ngannou has been incorporating boxing heavily into his training, similarly to how Conor McGregor did prior to his loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 257.

“I’m focusing on this one,” Ngannou said without hesitation. “This is not a boxing match. This is an MMA match. So that’s what I’m focused on.

“I’ve always had boxing in mind. Even before the beginning of my MMA career, even before I discovered the sport, I always had boxing in mind. It never goes away.”

Ngannou and Gane pictured during their time at the MMA Factory, where Gane still trains

WBC heavyweight champion Fury has expressed an interest in facing Ngannou in a crossover fight and The Predator has already said he will not be fighting for ‘$500k or $600k’ anymore, as per his current UFC deal.

McGregor had a $100 million fight with Manny Pacquiao ready to go on the assumption he would be victorious against Poirier on Fight Island, but after his leg took a battering and he was knocked out in the second round, the Irishman was force to abandon those plans.

Poirier’s leg kicks on McGregor were extremely effective on Fight Island and McGregor had got to relaxed in a boxing stanceCredit: UFC (YouTube)

Speaking to talkSPORT after the loss, McGregor admitted that he had perhaps focused too much on boxing, but that’s not a mistake Ngannou plans on making.

He takes on the 10-0 Cyril Gane from France, a man who is trained by Ngannou’s former guide, Ferland Lopez.

Ngannou, 35, remains determined to make a splash in the boxing world at some point, but first he has a personal rivalry with Lopez to squash and he can do that by defeating Gane in Anaheim, California this Saturday.