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Boxing

Tyson Fury could face Francis Ngannou or winner of Anthony Joshua vs. Oleksandr Usyk, says Todd DeBoeuf

Alexander Netherton
Tyson Fury could face Francis Ngannou or winner of Anthony Joshua vs. Oleksandr Usyk, says Todd DeBoeufGettyImages

Top Rank chief Todd DeBoeuf believes that Tyson Fury could return to the ring if he gets the chance to face UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou.

WBC champion Fury last fought in April when he beat his mandatory challenger Dillian Whyte, winning with a convincing sixth round knockout.

Immediately after the contest he said he would be retiring from professional fighting but he had Ngannou join him in the ring as he suggested a ‘hybrid rules’ clash between the two champions.

Fury has been filmed training in his home of Morecambe Bay as well as the South of France, leading to speculation that he was staying in shape to maintain his readiness for another fight, but he has instead claimed he is simply looking after his physical or mental health.

There are also suggestions that another option could be to take on the winner of Oleksandr Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua later in the year.

"I think there is obviously a lot brewing about the rematch between AJ and Usyk," DeBoeuf said to Sky Sports. "Obviously that has always been on his and everybody's target, but I think at this point there is nothing to be talked about because he hasn't determined what he wants to do.

"Maybe the winner, when that fight happens, can pull him out, or maybe something else can be motivational like Ngannou.

"We saw Francis Ngannou get in the ring and it was kind of bizarre that the guy was retiring but the MMA heavyweight champion was getting in the ring to talk smack - which one are we doing here?

"But is it going to be he just sits in the South of France on the beach there and enjoys it? That again, I am speaking for him and that is a difficult position for me to be in to speak on what his feelings are.

"I think he has climbed the mountain and he has done so much since his return to boxing, and I think that final piece of 94,000 at Wembley is almost like 'I got to the top, this is Everest' and he has accomplished a lot.

"So, where he goes and who motivates him and what motivates him is again his own interest.

"He is a competitor and like most athletes in their prime they want to shine, and they want the attention and hopefully he will have that craving and desire that he wants to get back into the ring.

"And if not then he may just say 'hey, I want to look at something else or do something different in my life.' But I think those are his decisions."