Francis Ngannou has his sights set on a potential showdown with Rico Verhoeven, calling the matchup "very compelling."
The former UFC heavyweight champion spoke with TMZ Sports after his first-round knockout of Philipe Lins, revealing his interest in facing the Dutch kickboxer.
>>> Oppo Find N7 Wide Tipped with Horizontal Camera, Crease-Free Display
"[Rico] is very compelling. Very interesting.
But nothing has been done yet, so I'm looking forward to it," Ngannou said.
>>> Guess the Hot Dad Bod: Chris Hemsworth, Maluma, Kevin Hart and More
Verhoeven was nearly Ngannou's opponent before the Lins fight, as he was in deep talks with Jake Paul's MVP promotions.
Instead, Verhoeven chose to box Oleksandr Usyk, losing via controversial 11th-round stoppage despite leading on the scorecards as a massive underdog.
>>> OnlyFans Stars Karina Petrova and Alexandra Svensson Train for Knockout Queen Fights
Ngannou knows the feeling of a disputed decision. He lost a split decision to Tyson Fury in October 2023, a result many fans questioned.
When asked whether a potential fight would be boxing or MMA, Ngannou said, "Either one. I would like to fight him."
>>> Lenovo Launches ThinkPad P16s (2026) Workstation Laptop with Intel Core Ultra and RTX Pro Graphics
No deal is finalized, but Ngannou made his intentions clear: "That's what I have in mind for right now."
