By Jake Tiernan: Former two-time heavyweight world title challenger Dereck Chisora has taken to Twitter to say he wants to face Francis Ngannou next, and he included Saudi businessman Turki Alalshikh in his post on social about his hopes of facing the ex-UFC champ.
Would the Saudis want to pay Chisora & Ngannou a mountain of dough for a headliner fight? If so, would it make money? Would that not matter?
It wouldn’t be a total shock if Chisora gets the fight with Ngannou because he keeps getting opportunities for well-paying fights despite his horrible record.
It would look bad if the Saudis put together a PV event in Riyadh, with Chisora fighting Ngannou in the main event, as that’s not a fight that would attract interest, apart from people wanting to see Francis. It would be like watching a trainwreck.
Chisora would be the prop/punching bag for Ngannou to beat up in a fight that would have no value in being a sporting event. How does Ngannou come out ahead fighting an old shot guy like Chisora?
“I love this game. I want this fight,” said Derek Chisora on Twitter, throwing his hat in the ring to begin campaigning for a fight with Francis Ngannou next.
If you’re the Saudis, surely you would want to see Ngannou fight a relevant top 10 heavyweight contender rather than the worn-out war horse Chisora, with his dismal record of 2-4 in his last six fights.
Love this game I want this fight 🤲🏾🙏🏾 @Turki_alalshikh @francis_ngannou pic.twitter.com/G1b7d9L6pl
— Derek Chisora 🥊 (@DerekWarChisora) November 4, 2023
Chisora (34-13, 23 KOs), who has lost four out of his last six fights, would need the Saudis to show interest in putting on a fight between him and Ngannou to have any realistic chance of happening.
Ngannou has far better options than to face Chisora, who will turn 40 in December and hasn’t looked good since his win over Carlos Takam in 2018.
Francis Ngannou will reject the idea of facing Chisora, considering it would no-win type of situation. Although the 37-year-old Ngannou is nearly the same age as the 39-year-old Chisora, they’re worlds apart in the talent department. Chisora was never a great heavyweight, even when he was younger, whereas Ngannou has actual talent and recently held a title in the UFC.
U.S. boxing fans find it odd how Chisora is still getting headliner spots to make dough when he loses repeatedly and looks terrible. WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury gave Chisora shots last December, with him having lost three out of his last four fights.
Good options for Chisora:
- Joe Joyce
- Agit Kabayel – rematch
- Otto Wallin
- David Adeleye
- Fabio Wardley
- Martin Bakole
- Jermaine Franklin
- Daniel Dubois
Chisora would likely lose badly to all of those fighters, but it would be a lot more entertaining than watching him fight Ngannou on PPV.
For a journeyman with 13 defeats, Chisora is surprisingly wealthy, with a net worth of $15 million, according to The Sun.
