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Report: UFC hoping to sign Anthony Joshua to multi-fight deal worth $500M

Andrew Couldridge / Reuters

It appears the UFC has designs on making Anthony Joshua a very wealthy man.

According to Gareth A. Davies of The Telegraph, the promotion plans on making a $500-million bid to sign the undefeated heavyweight champion boxer to a multi-fight contract, with president Dana White aiming to attend his date with Joseph Parker in Cardiff, Wales at the end of the month and meet with Joshua and his team.

Joshua has been affiliated with promoter Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing since 2013, and while White has designs on poaching him, Hearn remains confident he'll retain the undefeated Brit's talents, Davies reports.

In addition to publicly singing Joshua's praises on more than one occasion, White has made it known the UFC aims to expand its portfolio with a boxing foray. Joshua, meanwhile, has entertained trying his luck in four-ounce gloves. It remains to be seen whether the promotion is interested in booking him for fights in the Octagon instead of the ring, but Joshua would find no shortage of takers if so, having fielded callouts from both UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic and contender Francis Ngannou.

The 28-year-old Joshua turned heads last April with an 11th-round TKO of Wladimir Klitschko in front of 90,000 patrons at London's Wembley Arena, and is expected to face fellow heavyweight titleholder Deontay Wilder if he gets past Parker next Saturday. He owns a spotless pro record of 20-0 with as many victories by stoppage.

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