Mark Hunt targets August showdown with Francis Ngannou

Derrick Lewis isn’t the only fighter gunning for a scrap with Francis Ngannou. Mark Hunt also has his eyes on the French knockout artist, ideally this August, at the UFC’s rumored debut in Hawaii.

“We’re looking to see if I can get Ngannou for August in Hawaii – that’d be great,” Hunt recently told Sporting News.

While a Hunt vs. Ngannou fight would certainly be one to watch, it’s worth noting that Derrick Lewis’s incessant trash talk does seem to have gotten Ngannou’s attention. It’s hard to say whether a fight with Hunt would be more or less interesting to him.

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“Derrick has been talking some of his shit while I was [taking time] off,” Ngannou said in a Sunday Instagram post. “Can someone please let him know that I’m here now, so if he really wants me, he should send his manager to deal with [The UFC].”

When we last saw Francis Ngannou in action, he gave up a lopsided decision to reigning UFC heavyweight champ Stipe Miocic. This loss was preceded by a 6-0 start to his run in the UFC, highlighted by defeats of Alistair Overeem, Andrei Arlovski and Curtis Blaydes.

Hunt, meanwhile, last fought in February, when he lost a decision to Curtis Blaydes. This loss was preceded by a fourth-round TKO defeat of Derrick Lewis.

Does a fight between Mark Hunt and Francis Ngannou interest you, or would you prefer other matchups for these two heavyweight knockout artists? Join the conversation in the comments section.

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