Strongman Eddie Hall is now open to potentially fighting a former UFC heavyweight champion, marking a shift in his stance.
The 2017 World`s Strongest Man recently achieved a victory in his professional MMA debut.
Eddie Hall secured a dominant 30-second TKO win against Mariusz Pudzianowski at KSW 105 in Gliwice, Poland.
Following this decisive win, he is now discussing a potential future bout with Francis Ngannou, who is widely considered one of the best heavyweights in mixed martial arts today.
Eddie Hall Now Open to Francis Ngannou Fight
Eddie Hall fully understands that he would be a massive underdog if he were to face Ngannou. Nevertheless, he stated his willingness to step into the cage with `The Predator` provided he is offered a substantial payment and sufficient time to prepare.
When asked by Ariel Helwani about his interest in fighting Ngannou, Hall initially reacted with surprise, saying, “F—— hell.”
He elaborated on the challenge: “You are basically chucking me in with the wolves doing that. I would need a bit of time. I would need a lot of training, and it would need to be a lot of money. I think with anything in life, if the money is right, I would take it.”
Hall outlined his required preparation: “The only way I’d fight Francis Ngannou would be with a hell of a training camp. I’d probably want six to nine months of training with top-level athletes in top camps. And the money would have to be good because you are literally putting your life on the line.”
He acknowledged Ngannou`s clear advantage: “Francis Ngannou outclasses me in every single way possible, in the fight world, but it’s that unknown.”
Hall maintains a slim hope based on his power: “If I catch him. If throw that right hand and it just gets him on the end of the chin, it could happen.”
He concluded his thoughts on the potential matchup: “It’s that unknown. So, I wouldn’t be going in thinking I’ve got zero chance, but it would have to be a big-money incentive for me to do that and literally put my life on the line by going into the ring with someone like Ngannou.”
Eddie Hall`s Prior X-rated Response to Ngannou Rumors
The possibility of a Hall vs Ngannou fight was initially suggested by KSW president Martin Lewandowski the previous week.
However, immediately after his knockout victory over Pudzianowski, Hall had shut down any talk of fighting Ngannou in a famously explicit and humorous manner.
At the time, Hall emphatically stated, “I would rather get f—ed up the a— by the devil than fight Francis Ngannou.”
He firmly rejected the idea: “I’m not fighting Francis Ngannou, that’s not happening, no.”
He finished his earlier statement by saying, “Let’s just not mention my name anywhere near that name.”
