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Joe Rogan has been one of the big cheerleaders for a potential Francis Ngannou vs. Tyson Fury boxing superfight, and the idea of it being contested with five ounce MMA gloves excites him even more.
In a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, he broke down why Tyson Fury doesn't seem fazed at all by the idea of fighting in smaller gloves. He said:
"Being 'The Gypsy King,' those bare-knuckle Travelers are known for having fights bare-knuckle. That's the whole thing, they have an old culture behind it. Bare-knuckle fighting and gypsies go back forever. I'm sure he's had bare-knuckle fights. I would love to see it, no matter what. And I love Francis Ngannou so I'd like him to get a giant payday. And I think it'd be an enormous payday. Huge. It would be spectacular.
Francis Ngannou vs. 'The Gypsy King' for the undisputed baddest man on the planet. Oh my God it'd be so much money. That's what I want for Francis. And if it's little gloves, man ... you can't f*** around with little gloves."
Watch the full clip of Joe Rogan discussing Ngannou vs. Fury below:
Fury and Ngannou had been sparring back and forth on social media for years, but things suddenly got very serious when Ngannou appeared in the ring following Fury's TKO win over Dillian Whyte. The two agreed on the mic to fight each other and the bout went from speculative to almost inevitable.
Francis Ngannou's UFC contract ends in 2023, freeing him up for a boxing match with Tyson Fury
UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou is currently sidelined for the rest of 2022 with a knee injury. According to Ngannou and his management, his contract with the UFC has a five year sunset clause that may make him a free agent in early 2023.
That doesn't mean Ngannou is definitely leaving the UFC. But he has made it clear that any new contract with the promotion must include the right to box Tyson Fury. He said:
"I wanna point out the fact that whether it’s Tyson Fury or whatever, it can still happen under the UFC. When I said I wanna box or I wanna fight Tyson Fury, that doesn’t exclude the UFC. It can still be under the UFC as long as we have a good contract; respectful term that’s been agreed by everybody, I think everything is possible."
Given Dana White's consistent position that Ngannou vs. Fury is a terrible idea and opinion that boxers are 'overpaid,' it's still a long shot that Ngannou will re-sign with the promotion.
