Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, fighters have been busy on social media in an attempt to remain relevant and book the biggest fights possible once combat sports resume.
Arguably the biggest puncher in the UFC has been openly campaigning to try his hand at boxing, and Matchroom Boxing’s Eddie Hearn is interested in staging a crossover fight between that puncher, Francis Ngannou, and heavyweight contender Dillian Whyte.
Hearn told ESPN of his interest in co-promoting a fight with UFC President Dana White that would pit the two heavyweights against one another inside a boxing ring.
“I thought maybe me and Dana could put this night together where you’ve got a ring which also transforms into a cage between matchups,” Hearn said. “So you’ve got crossover fights, but you’ve got an MMA fighter against a boxer in a ring. Then you’ve got a boxer fighting an MMA fighter in a cage.”
Hearn has even gone as far as to schedule a special ePress conference with Ngannou and Whyte for the fifth edition of the “Rivals” series at 2 p.m. ET Saturday, during which the fighters were expected to discuss a potential matchup.
White, however, shot down the idea of the UFC’s No. 2-ranked heavyweight taking on Whyte in a boxing ring. White says his energy is being directed toward the UFC at the moment. He also suggested that Ngannou wouldn’t be a part of the ePress conference.
“I like Eddie Hearn,” White said at a media event in Las Vegas. “[But] I’m not interested in that. … I’m not thinking about boxing anymore, and I’m worried about [UFC] business right now.”