Paulo Costa vs. Francis Ngannou in bare knuckle boxing?!

UFC middleweight Paulo Costa and former heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. Photo: USA Today Sports

Since his departure from the UFC, former heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou is not short of opponents calling him out for boxing matches.

A while back,reigning heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury claimed that he wanted to face “The Predator” in a cage with 4-ounce gloves under Queensbury rules.

A two-fight MMA and boxing deal with former heavyweight boxing champion Deontay Wilder has also been rumoured to be in the works for the 36-year-old MMA fighter.

Now, however, UFC middleweight contender Paulo Costa claims he wants a piece of the action as well as he volunteers for a bare knuckle boxing fight against the heavy-hitting heavyweight.

“Hey Francis I heard you’re looking for a boxer opponent. If u prefer I can put my gloves off too. It’s up to you big brother,” Costa wrote in a recent tweet.

Hey Francis I heard you’re looking for a boxer opponent. If u prefer I can put my gloves off too. It’s up to you big brother 🙌 pic.twitter.com/W6hRrkRkg7

— Paulo Costa ( Borrachinha ) (@BorrachinhaMMA) March 28, 2023

Read more: UFC 287 takes a big hit, loses high profile welterweight fight

Paulo Costa: “We have reached a deal with the UFC”

However, it’s probably safe to assume that the bizarre matchup won’t take place in quite a while, if ever.

Paulo Costa has been involved in a contract dispute with the UFC for a while, and has not competed since his last fight against Luke Rockhold in August 2022, but is now about to ink a lucrative four-fight contract with the promotion.

“I haven’t signed the contract yet but we have reached a deal with the UFC regarding the pay,” Costa recently said about the UFC contract. “It wasn’t easy, there was a lot of hard work, and I have to highlight Tamara’s [Costa’s manager] brilliant work here.”

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