Francis Ngannou: 'Still a space at the table' for ex-UFC champion in boxing, says Carl Frampton

Carl Frampton believes there is “still a space” for Francis Ngannou in boxing despite his second defeat in as many fights.

Former MMA fighter Ngannou, 37, was beaten by Anthony Joshua earlier in the month after the Brit landed a second-round knockout.

Four months earlier in October he had fought Tyson Fury in his first-ever boxing bout and took the heavyweight champion to 10 rounds - as well as knocking him down in the third - before he was finally beaten via decision.

Frampton, a former super-bantamweight and featherweight champion, believes Ngannou has shown enough, especially in his fight against Fury, to warrant a future spot in the sport.

“Ultimately it’s up to him [Ngannou],” Frampton told TNT Sports. “The money he’s making in boxing is incredible, it’s better than anything he's done in UFC previous to that.

“There are still fights out there for him and he put in a very, very credible performance against Fury, let’s not forget that.

“He’s had two boxing matches, a close one against who the majority of boxing fans think is the lineal heavyweight champion on the planet, and then a blowout against AJ [Joshua], and that’s what happens with heavyweight boxing.

“If he wants, I think there’s still a space for him at the table in boxing.”

Speaking about a possible next opponent for Ngannou, Frampton predicted there were potentially 15 fighters he would give the Cameroon-born fighter a chance against.

“You take the top guys out of the equation, there are maybe 15 other guys scrambling around,” Frampton said.

“There are fighters in that 15 he might beat. I think he will [stay in boxing].”

Following his defeat to Joshua, Ngannou has plummeted from the top 10 fighters in the heavyweight rankings to number 24.

Joshua was full of praise for Ngannou after their bout and urged him not to leave the sport, calling him “an inspiration”.

- - -

TNT Sports presents the premium live sports rights previously carried by BT Sport including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Investec Champions Cup, EPCR Challenge Cup, MotoGP, Cricket, UFC, Boxing and WWE. The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination. You can also watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media.