Fury eyes boxing match vs. Ngannou with UFC gloves

Tyson Fury wants to box Francis Ngannou, but there's a twist.

The world heavyweight boxing champion proposed Thursday a matchup against the UFC heavyweight titleholder, calling him a "beast" and saying he'd be willing to wear MMA gloves in the bout.

This isn't the first time Fury has called out Ngannou, who has expressed interest in crossing over to boxing to face Fury and other top heavyweights.

Ngannou is scheduled to defend his UFC belt against Ciryl Gane on Jan. 22, but his future with the promotion is somewhat up in the air. "The Predator" and his management have been at odds with UFC brass in recent months, and he'd become a free agent if he loses to Gane.

Ngannou, 35, said as recently as last week that he won't retire from combat sports without stepping into a boxing ring.

Fury ended a 20-month layoff in October, finishing Deontay Wilder in the 11th round of their trilogy bout.