"So my next fight might be MMA or Usyk"
Tuesday 9 June 2020 14:10, UK
Derek Chisora claims he "can’t wait to get in the cage" and told Sky Sports that an MMA crossover is imminent.
His rival Dillian Whyte has recently been embroiled in a back-and-forth with UFC heavyweight Francis Ngannou but now Chisora has become the latest fighter to consider a switch of sports.
Speaking about Bellator MMA president Scott Coker, Chisora told Sky Sports: "I've told [him] give me your best heavyweight and I will knock his lights out!"
Chisora is expected to reschedule his fight against Oleksandr Usyk but has suggested that his next contest could be his first outside of boxing.
"I'm ready. I said to [manager David Haye] the other day: 'Can you get me in to a cage fight because I'm ready to go'.
"So I think we're working on that now, an MMA fight. I need it, so my next fight might be MMA or Usyk."
About mixed martial arts organisation Bellator, Chisora said: "They said yes, David is working on it now so see what happens."
Chisora attended a Black Lives Matter protest last weekend with Bellator MMA fighter Michael 'Venom' Page.
"I'm hungry, excited, some MMA fighters come to boxing so I want to be the one that goes to MMA, I want to knock some dudes out for fun."
Chisora insists he has began training at London Shootfighters MMA gym: "Every day, serious guys, I enjoy it, it's painful but I enjoy it so I figured 'call David'.
"Since we don't know when we're boxing, we said let's do it."
Asked if the turnaround between an MMA debut then a boxing match against Usyk would be too short, Chisora said: "Yes, but I'm a fighter. I love fighting, I don't want to look back when I finish, I want to look back and be happy.
"So do an MMA fight, finish it quick, jog on and fight Usyk, knock him out then go home and celebrate."
Whyte, who has twice beaten Chisora, once won an MMA fight in just 12 seconds and has insisted he would step into the UFC octagon to meet knockout artist Ngannou.
"Yes, I would have a boxing match," Ngannou told Sky Sports. "Whoever is possible and whenever is possible. The top heavyweights."
Whyte fired back: "Stop talking about it. Don't talk about it, let's just do it."
Chisora stoked the flames of his rivalry with Whyte by suggesting he would help prepare his rival's upcoming opponent, Alexander Povetkin.
"I spoke to Alexander a couple of days ago," Chisora said. "He said that he's started training and waiting for a date, and says he will send his private plane to pick me up, so why not?"
Should Chisora transition into MMA, the Bellator heavyweight division includes Fedor Emelianenko, Josh Barnett, ex-WWE star Bobby Lashley and former England rugby international James Haskell who has not yet debuted.
