Floyd Mayweather always has his eyes on talent and that includes former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou.
Now that Ngannou is a free agent after severing ties with the UFC, the knockout artist from Cameroon is exploring various options with designs on crossing over the boxing sooner rather than later. While no deal has been struck yet, Ngannou has teased interest in potential showdowns against Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder in his boxing debut.
Ngannou is still a raw product when it comes to boxing but Mayweather says that he would love the chance to work with him both as a coach and as a promoter.
“I would love to work with him actually,” Mayweather told BetOnine.ag. “I would love to work with him. I would love to sign him to Mayweather Promotions.
“Very skilled guy. He was unbelievable from the highlights that I was able to see in MMA. I would like to work with him someday. If he wants to fight one of the top heavyweight guys, he should do it.”
Ngannou actually dreamed of becoming a professional boxer before he ever made his MMA debut so it’s been a lifelong goal to eventually compete in the sport.
With the ferocious power he possesses, Ngannou would be a threat to anyone standing in front of him and Mayweather knows it only takes a single shot to end anybody’s night, especially at heavyweight.
“I can’t say it’s going to take a while [for him to learn] because in the heavyweight division, it takes just one shot,” Mayweather said. “At any weight class actually, it takes just one shot. So with his size and his strength and his power, anything can happen.”
Because Ngannou is a former UFC champion, he would certainly cater more attention than any other boxer starting out with a 0-0 record.
He’s also taking a massive risk by stepping into the ring with far more accomplished boxers like Fury or Wilder, who both boast impressive resumes earned through decades of hard work and fights.
That said, Mayweather would never count out Ngannou against anybody and he’s anxious to see how the 36-year-old heavyweight will do in boxing.
“He’s powerful,” Mayweather said. “With his power and his toughness, he’s able to make some noise in the heavyweight division.”
As far as Ngannou crossing over as the latest MMA fighter to test the waters in boxing, Mayweather has no complaints whatsoever because he knows from person experience that those fights can generate huge interest both in ticket sales and through pay-per-view.
Mayweather famously took on UFC superstar Conor McGregor in 2017 in what ultimately became one of the most successful and profitable fights in combat sports history. These days, Mayweather is retired as a professional but he still participates in exhibition bouts including another huge event he shared with social influencer Logan Paul.
All things considered, Mayweather believes the audience drives interest and right now the door is wide open to just about anybody with a name testing themselves in the boxing ring.
“The people want to be entertained,” Mayweather said. “With the people all around the world wanting to be entertained, why not do it?
“You’ve got people from all walks of life whether it’s MMA, boxing, the YouTubers, everybody’s getting involved now so I’m all for it.”