Heavyweight boxing champ Anthony Joshua considering move to MMA, has two big names in mind

Boxing heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua is flirting with a move to the UFC, and he’s got to big names in mind if he makes this perilous jump: Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou.

The undefeated knockout machine discussed this exciting possibility on Sky Sports’ boxing’s Toe 2 Toe podcast.

“I feel like a good scrap would be, I think the guy from Congo,” Joshua said, referencing Francis Ngannou, who is actually from Cameroon (h/t Sport Bible). “I think he just lost recently. Big unit, that’d be a good scrap.”

“Then you’ve got Jon Jones, that’d be a good scrap,” Joshua added, dropping another huge name.

Interestingly, Francis Ngannou actually called for a boxing match with Anthony Joshua before his failed UFC 220 title fight with UFC heavyweight champ Stipe Miocic. Ngannou, of course, is not the only fighter to express interest in a fight with Joshua.

The UFC heavyweight champion Miocic has repeatedly called for a boxing match with Joshua, while decorated striking specialist Alistair Overeem has said he’d happily welcome Joshua to the Octagon.

. @anthonyfjoshua looks like your schedule is wide open. No excuses, let's dance! #BaddestManOnThePlanet

— Stipe Miocic (@stipemiocic) August 3, 2017

I had my journey out of MMA and became champion in another sport, the K1 ring. No desire to redo but willing to welcome others into the UFC! https://t.co/Zue6Q2lN2W

— Alistair Overeem (@Alistairovereem) September 3, 2017

Whatever the case, Anthony Joshua isn’t likely to be fighting any of these big names in the cage any time soon, as he’d need some time to pick up the requisite MMA skills. He seems to understand this reality.

“I’d have to obviously have a couple of warm-up fights because you have to learn the submissions and stuff,” he said. “But a fight’s a fight at the end of the day. Yeah man, I’d do it.”

Would you be interested in seeing Anthony Joshua fight in the UFC?

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 3/19/2018.