Conor McGregor was previously critical of Francis Ngannou after his UFC exit, but has now had his say on his boxing fight with Tyson Fury.

Ngannou left the UFC and vacated his heavyweight title earlier this year after failing to agree a new deal, as he looked to pursue a lucrative boxing opportunity.

To the surprise of fans after signing a new deal to continue his MMA career with PFL, 'The Predator' has landed a mega-money clash with the WBC champion in Saudi Arabia on October 28.

Many were uncertain about the Cameroon star's decision, but it appears to have now paid off as he eyes a huge upset win in the squared circle.

Francis Ngannou's boxing pursuit turns gold

Ngannou has managed to land a golden opportunity to expand his profile and earn the payday of a lifetime, before potentially returning to MMA.

The ex-UFC champion ended on difficult terms after having his head turned by a potential shot at Fury, when the pair initially agreed to a mixed-rules bout on social media.

It appeared his British rival would downplay any clash with his focus initially on an undisputed fight with Oleksandr Usyk in the traditional ranks, but talks broke down.

This gave Ngannou his big chance which many believed would never come, seeing many of combat sport's leading names jump to criticise his move away from the UFC.

It included UFC superstar McGregor who initially went on a rant questioning the move and suggesting he decided to take a leap of faith without any substance, despite going on to wish him well.

WATCH: Conor McGregor's previous assessment of Francis Ngannou's exit

The Irishman is the highest-paid athlete on the roster, and suggested Ngannou had the potential to be if he hung around for a mega showdown with Jon Jones.

UFC president Dana White also was quick to criticise his former employee, and it remains to be seen if his career in the promotion can be rekindled once his boxing pursuit is over.

Conor McGregor changes his stance on Francis Ngannou

Ngannou has faced mixed verdicts for his leap into a crossover event, particularly given he will go into the event as significant underdog.

Naturally he has faced comparison to superstar McGregor who famously made the switch in a UFC-approved boxing fight with legend Floyd Mayweather.

The event was a mega success and was by far the Irishman's highest payday, but did prove to be different in the ring as he was eventually stopped in the tenth round.

Despite Ngannou's chances of a miracle KO being slim, it is already set to be a huge success for the MMA heavyweight who will receive a large upfront purse due to the Middle East paying a huge site fee.

And despite his power, many have suggested he will struggle to lay a glove on Fury who has yet to be defeated in his stellar time in the professional boxing ranks.

However, McGregor actually has now praised Ngannou for his move and has even suggested his punch-power could cause problems in the early stages of the contest.

He told Adam Glyn in an interview: "I'm interested, let's see how it goes. I've not heard much about it but I'm happy for Ngannou, fair play to him.

"What weight is Tyson? Is he in shape? Anything can happen in there, so I wish them both well, and I'm excited to see it."

McGregor has given his backing and no doubt fans of both sports will tune in to see how the latest MMA fighter to make the switch gets on in a big fight.