Francis Ngannou shuts down massive Anthony Joshua fight on December 23 as ex-UFC star reveals next opponent

FRANCIS NGANNOU has shut down a fight with Anthony Joshua to shift his focus to a different opponent.

Ngannou amazingly dropped Tyson Fury in his boxing debut but controversially walked away with a points loss in Saudi Arabia.

The consequence of the crossover clash has seen Fury's undisputed title bout with Oleksandr Usyk moved from December 23 to February.

But Saudi boxing bosses are still planning a huge event before Christmas and now want Ngannou, 37, to headline it.

So promoter Eddie Hearn put Joshua's name forward to face the ex-UFC champion.

But Ngannou rathers a rematch with Fury, 35, and would be willing to sit out until the title unification with Usyk, 36, to do so.

He told : “I would be willing to wait.

“I know that they are going to fight, they had a contract already, so they are going to fight sometime in February instead of December 23, which is my fault.

"I shouldn’t have cut him. He would’ve fought December 23, and maybe we would’ve run it back early next year.”

Ngannou ruled out returning next month and suggested a fight with Joshua would have to wait until he rematches Fury.

CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS

He added: “First of all, it’s too soon. Secondly, my focus, as boxing is concerned, is a rematch with Tyson.

"That’s the most important thing for me right now, everything else for boxing comes after.”

Promoters of both Fury and Usyk have confirmed the historic first four-belt heavyweight unification has been postponed till February.