Francis Ngannou finds himself in a very tricky spot with the UFC as he wants to be able to box while still under contract with the promotion. Current heavyweight contender Curtis Blaydes recently gave his take on his former opponent being able to enter the boxing world.
Curtis Blaydes brought up Conor McGregor as an example of how it's possible to do both and not worry about issues. He was recently on MMAFighting‘s The Fighter vs. The Writer, where he explained why Francis Ngannou should be able to do both.
“I think that’s the crux of the issue. You opened the door when you let [Conor] McGregor do it. I don’t see a real reason why Francis shouldn’t be allowed to do it. I cannot think of a legit reason, because McGregor was able to do it.”
One argument against letting UFC fighters cross over into other sports like boxing is that there is a risk of injuries and they won't be able to compete in MMA during that time. Curtis Blaydes points to the fact that injuries can happen at any moment, not just by crossing over into other sports.
“Yeah, there’s a risk of an injury, but OK, injuries can happen whenever,” the UFC heavyweight continued on the show. “They can happen at practices. That’s not a good enough reason, especially when he can potentially earn [a lot for both sides], even if it’s only $5 million. That’s a lot of money. I don’t blame Francis wanting to take the boxing match. I cannot blame him.”
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