Heavyweight contender and former title challenger Francis Ngannou is back in the gym training and eyeing a summer return to the octagon. Several fighters have expressed interest in facing “The Predator,” but Ngannou has his sights set on a former champion. The 31-year-old Cameroonian wants to face current WWE star Brock Lesnar.
“It’s up to what they’re going to give me. There are a lot of people out there that want to fight me,” Ngannou said during Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour. “Myself, I want Brock, Brock Lesnar.”
Ngannou (11-2) lost to champion Stipe Miocic in his last outing at UFC 220 in January. Lesnar is currently under contract with WWE and holds the WWE heavyweight title. With his professional wrestling contract nearing its end, talks have heated up about the possibility of Lesnar returning to mixed martial arts.
Last month, UFC president Dana White said that he “wouldn’t be shocked” if Lesnar returned to the UFC. He later posted a photo standing with Lesnar on his Instagram and Twitter accounts teasing the possibility.
— Dana White (@danawhite) February 26, 2018
“I like the fight,” said Ngannou. “He look like — I don’t know if you ever seen this guy, he looks very, very big and strong. And I really want to try that.”
If the fight comes to fruition, it pits two of the most massive heavyweights in the promotion’s history against each other. It’s the fight Ngannou wants and he had a message for Lesnar.
“Please Brock, come back my friend. We need you here. We need you to put fun in this division,” he said. “I need you to give me that (expletive) fight I’ve been waiting for for a long time, I’ve been dreaming for.”
“Me, I want Brock.”
