Editor’s note: This article was originally published at MMAJunkie.com.
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Francis Ngannou wants a rematch with Tyson Fury no matter what.
Ngannou (0-1) is scheduled to meet Anthony Joshua (27-3 ,24 KOs) in a 10-round boxing match March 8 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, Fury is set to face Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed championship on Feb. 17, also in Riyadh.
Ngannou knocked Fury down and pushed him to his limits in a close decision loss this past October. He is eager to run things back with “The Gypsy King” regardless of the outcome of his next fight.
“I’m not looking for the winner of Tyson Fury [and Usyk],” Ngannou told TMZ. “I’m looking for Tyson. Tyson owes me a fight. I don’t give a s— about the winner of Usyk and Tyson. I’m coming after Tyson. Win or lose, I want Tyson.”
Ngannou plans to ramp up his game for Joshua even more after his impressive performance vs. Fury. He acknowledges that the element of surprise no longer plays in his favor.
“He’s seen me box already, so he knows a little bit what is coming,” Ngannou said. “… Unlike Tyson Fury, that was out of the blue, didn’t know what to expect. Joshua kind of knows what to expect. I think this time I need to put it up even more to get the job done.”
According to FanDuel, Ngannou is a +500 underdog, meaning a $100 bet on the former UFC heavyweight champion would win $500. Joshua is a -700 favorite, meaning a $700 wager would be needed to return a $100 profit.
Ngannou thinks it makes sense that he’s a big underdog.
“I’m going in against a former champion, against a guy that’s been in the game for so long, winning, and all this stuff,” Ngannou said. I think he’s 30-something and I’m 0-1. Come on, man. How do you make me a favorite?”