Francis Ngannou says he “by no means left MMA” and isn’t closing the door on persevering with his boxing profession both.
The heavyweight fights Renan Ferreira on 19 October in his first MMA battle since January 2022, having had two boxing fights since then.
Ngannou, 37, misplaced to former world champions Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua however says he’s not calling his return to MMA a “comeback”.
“I by no means left MMA. Additionally, I haven’t left boxing,” Ngannou informed BBC Sport.
“I’m not returning to MMA, I by no means left MMA. That’s the confusion.”
Ngannou has simply three losses in 20 MMA fights and 12 knockouts in these victories.
Ferreira, 34, has 11 knockouts in his 13 wins.
Ngannou is a former UFC champion however left the organisation partially to purse boxing alongside his MMA profession.
The Cameroonian introduced his transfer to rival MMA promotion the PFL in Might 2023 however then competed in successive boxing fights.
Regardless of dropping a controversial cut up choice to Fury after which struggling a heavy knockout defeat by Joshua, Ngannou doesn’t see his swap to boxing as a “damaging” expertise.
“The truth that these fights even occurred, it was one thing distinctive,” he mentioned.
“I had that dream for over 20 years and I lastly put it into fruition. That was dream chasing, a life-long dream I accomplished.”