Francis Ngannou has explained he is unable to commit to a bout with Tyson Fury until he has resolved his future in the UFC.
The Cameroon star will make the latest defence of his UFC heavyweight title against Cyril Gane later this month which is the last fight of his contract with the promotion.
Ngannou has confirmed he plans to compete in the boxing ring and has expressed his desire to face WBC heavyweight champion Fury in the near future.
But he believes the pair should stop the talking after two years and make the fight happen.
"I do think that is a good fight, it is two years that we have been having this back and forth and I think we should be doing this fight," Ngannou told ESPN MMA.
"I hope so, yeah absolutely this is something that is going to happen. I know that I am definitely going to be in boxing, I don't know when or how yet or the landscape at that moment.
"But that is the only reason I can't confirm it with Tyson Fury. I want to sign a contract with the UFC and have some boxing matches in my contract like a minimum of two times.
"It will help me get pay and live a good life and possibly have the championship!"
Ngannou has frequently called out Fury during his rise in the UFC as he looks to seek the lucrative financial reward available in boxing.
The 'Gypsy King' recently proposed the pair fight using boxing rules with MMA gloves as prospects of a crossover bout heated up.
However Ngannou quickly responded by accepting the challenge before proposing that MMA rules are applied with boxing gloves.
Fury has previously spoken of his desire to compete in the MMA cage and his father has previously backed a potential switch after he retained his belts against Deontay Wilder.
Who would win if the pair fought - Tyson Fury or Francis Ngannou? Let us know in the comments section below
For now the boxing champion is likely to focus on having a three-fight year starting by the potential defence of his crown against Dillian Whyte.
Ngannou will face the last exploit of his UFC contract later this month and has called out both Fury and Wilder after being told by UFC president Dana White he is free to leave.
Despite the uncertainty Ngannou is hoping he can insert a boxing clause in to a new contract with the UFC which allows him to compete on both stages.
After reigning undefeated in the UFC, Ngannou is confident he can make the transition to boxing and secure knockout victories against the leading stars.
However Matchroom Boxing promoted Eddie Hearn has dismissed the fight as "nonsense".
“I think it’s nonsense, but it’s all good,” Hearn said of Fury's Ngannou callout during DAZN’s 2022 launch. “Anything that gets people talking is good.
"It is quite exciting to think of the prospect of Tyson Fury fighting Francis Ngannou in a ring or in a cage, wherever, but I don’t see it happening any time soon.
“Anything like that drives fan engagement, which is good; it’s good for Tyson and Francis Ngannou, boxing and the UFC."
