The world of boxing has been thrilled once again by an intense online debate that engaged renowned figures of the boxing world, Lennox Lewis and Eddie Hearn. The topic delved into the topic of a potential megafight between Anthony Joshua, the unified heavyweight world champion, and Francis Ngannou, the UFC heavyweight champion.
As any attentive fan will tell you, the tussle between Lennox Lewis, boxing’s last undisputed heavyweight champion and now turned promoter, Eddie Hearn, famed boxing promoter of Matchroom Sport, always make for gripping content. This time, it centered on the possibilities and nuances of a tantalizing clash between Boxing’s Joshua and UFC’s Ngannou.
The face-off emerged when Lennox Lewis stated his belief on his Twitter account that a match-up between Joshua and Ngannou would indeed be an enticing prospect. He wrote, “I think Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou would be a very interesting fight.”
Without missing a beat, Eddie Hearn countered on his own Twitter handle, making it clear there could be serious challenges in matching a professional boxer with a mixed martial arts champion. Hearn tweeted back “Respectfully, it’s one thing setting up a boxing match, but setting up a fight between a boxer and a UFC fighter might be more of a challenge.”
Both sides of the argument hold their merits, but it’s also important to acknowledge the barriers. The Joshua vs Ngannou fight is indeed a mouth-watering prospect. Both fighters are in their prime, each having formidable records within their respective fields. Anthony Joshua, carrying an impressive record of 24 wins with just one loss, and Francis Ngannou boasting 16 victories and only three defeats, sets the stage for an electrifying matchup.
However, as Hearn rightly outlined, there are substantial hurdles in making this fight a reality. With each discipline operating under different governing bodies, rules, and regulations, bridging the divide between boxing and mixed martial arts would undoubtedly be an uphill climb. Plus, the fight would present a unique challenge for Ngannou, requiring him to specialize in boxing rather than utilizing his full range of MMA skills.
Despite the difficulties outlined by Hearn, this kind of crossover fight is not without precedence. In 2017, the world witnessed the much-hyped clash between the undefeated professional boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. and mixed martial artist Conor McGregor. Although primarily a boxing match, it blurred the lines between MMA and boxing and has arguably opened the door for more such contests.
However, the matchmaking of two fighters from different sports codes isn’t the only matter up for debate. The discussion opened a broader conversation about the relationship and space shared by the two combat sports. It questions whether the future of combat sports will see more integration or divergence between boxing and MMA.
While such a bout between Joshua and Ngannou could possibly become one of the greatest events in combat sports history, it certainly requires the joining and cooperation of two differing arenas. Only time will tell if this idea will develop into reality, or if it will linger as a tantalizing prospect that remains a topic of debate among fans and sport giants like Lennox Lewis and Eddie Hearn.
For now, the world of combat sports waits with bated breath as it contemplates a fight that could change the landscape of boxing and UFC as we know it.
