Morning Report: Tom Aspinall recommends Francis Ngannou ‘go where the money is,’ keep boxing

Tom Aspinall doesn’t think Francis Ngannou should hang up the boxing gloves.

Ngannou’s follow-up match to his stellar debut went far from how he had hoped. Tasked with another top-ranked boxer in the world, Ngannou suffered a brutal second-round knockout loss to Anthony Joshua earlier this month after his split decision defeat to Tyson Fury in October.

The result will likely lead Ngannou back to his original sport of MMA for his next outing, which would be his PFL debut in the second half of 2024. However, Ngannou isn’t planning to end his boxing career on that note, and his fellow top MMA heavyweight Aspinall believes he’d stick with it were it him.

“Those punches that Francis Ngannou got hit with, it was scary to watch wasn’t it, let’s be honest,” Aspinall told OLBG. “It looked like he was going to be asleep for a week. It was ridiculous. They were absolute thunderous punches he got hit with. What he’s going to do next is ultimately up to him. If I was in his position, I’d go where the money is — and as far as I’m aware — the money right now is in boxing, so that’s what I’d do. But I’m not Francis Ngannou, so it’s difficult to say. I see that a lot of MMA fighters think it would be easy to switch to boxing. We punch, they punch, but it’s not that easy. But it’s not. I’ve done a lot of rounds with high-level professional boxers. These guys have been boxing since they were ten years old.”

With boxing becoming all the rage for MMA fighters or celebrity influencers to get involved with in recent years, it can sometimes look like MMA is just a prerequisite to follow Ngannou’s blueprint. For example, see Sean O’Malley’s recent interest in a boxing match.

Aspinall, the interim UFC title holder, is focused on his current journey, though. stepping into the ring someday is an enticing thought, but the timing has to be right.

“Absolutely, I’d be interested in a boxing match, but towards the back end of my career,” Aspinall said. “Right now, I’ve got so much work to do in the UFC, and I’m not interested in those sorts of fights. I’ve got a lot of stuff to prove.”

Ultimately, Aspinall wants to win undisputed gold, and that means challenging himself against the title’s owner, Jon Jones. Of course, that depends on the outcome of Jones’ expected rebooked matchup with Stipe Miocic once he’s healthy enough to return.

Meanwhile, Aspinall hopes to stay busy and defend his title. Ideally, that would come against the only man to defeat him in the UFC, Curtis Blaydes.

“Jon Jones and Stipe are tied up with each other, and they’re not going to budge on that,” Aspinall said. “Right now, it’s in the UFC’s hands, and I’ve never been picky about my opponents. I’ve only ever told them fights I want. I’ve never told them fights that I don’t want. Blaydes has said he wants to fight me, and I’ve said, ‘Okay, cool, let’s do it.’ That’s it.

“I’m just waiting at the minute. I’m just waiting for the call. I’m in the gym twice a day, and I’m en route to training as we speak. I’m ready to go whenever. I like Curtis Blaydes, but professionally, I want to beat him because he’s got a win over me when I got injured. I don’t know if the right word is ‘personal,’ but it is personal. But not in the way that I don’t like him as a person; it’s personal in a professional kind of way. I want to get that one back.”

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Possibilities. Chris Weidman explains what will determine if he retires or continues fighting after UFC Atlantic City

Critique. Erin Blanchfield: ‘Pathetic’ Maycee Barber talks a lot but ‘scared of fighting people at the very top’

VIDEO STEW

UFC 100 Watch Party.

Catching up with Charles Oliveira and Irene Aldana.

Blanchfield vs. Fiorot Preview.

UFC Connected: Amanda Nunes.

Free fight.

LISTEN UP

Heck of a Morning. MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck reacts to Brandon Moreno taking time away from MMA, Dana White’s plans for U.K. return.

MORNING MUSIC

Let someone know you care today.

Go to Twitter, use the #MorningReport hashtag, or find one of my tweets with it, and drop me a jam you’re currently really into. I’ll pick the best one alongside my daily choice and give you a shoutout! You can also share in the comments below — those are just harder to sift through sometimes!

SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE

One of a kind.

Poatan.

Machine vs. Borrachinha.

Art.

Cold-kicks.

Company.

He had me in the first half, not gonna lie.

Smiles in the gym.

Don’t. Be. Weird.

Vegas.

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Taila Santos (19-3) vs. Ilara Joanne (11-8); PFL San Antonio, April 4

Bruno Cappelozza (15-7) vs. Sergei Bilostenniy (11-3); PFL San Antonio, April 4

Julia Polastri (12-3) vs. Josefine Knutsson (7-0); UFC Vegas 93, June 15

Garrett Armfield (10-3) vs. Brady Hiestand (8-2); UFC Vegas 93, June 15

FINAL THOUGHTS

From a financial standpoint, Ngannou should obviously keep boxing. As a fan, though, I want to see the man back in MMA before it’s too late.

Thanks for reading!

EXIT POLL

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