Undefeated WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury could have opted to face Oleksandr Usyk in an undisputed title fight. Instead, he will face former UFC champion Francis Ngannou in a non-title boxing fight on October 28 in Saudi Arabia.
Boasting off a 33-0-1 record, ‘The Gypsy King’ appears to be in the final days of his active career. He announced retirement after knocking out Dillian Whyte in April 2022. However, Ngannou will bring him back to boxing action.
In a recent interview by Sky Sports Boxing, the media person asked Fury whether it’s ‘refreshing’ to face a MMA fighter in a boxing competition.
‘The Gypsy King’ agreed and said, “There’s been quite a bit of talk about fighting MMA fighters. When I boxed Dillian Whyte back in 21 or 22 rather, he got into the ring, Francis [Ngannou]. And since then it’s been the talk of me fighting Jon Jones, and people like that. I do think it’s refreshing that these guys are wanting to step up and have a challenge and fight the best in boxing.”
Prior to claiming so, Tyson Fury talked about his retirement plans and hinted at doing another Netflix project. Per the WBC champion, the future series will feature him in the role of a boxing trainer or manager.
Meanwhile, Tyson Fury also clarified that he would be managing or training British fighters, his native people.
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Can Francis Ngannou Offer Something Different Than Other Boxers Against Tyson Fury?
Combat sports are highly unpredictable and anything can happen on any given day, especially when two professional heavy-handed fighters are involved.
Nevertheless, it’s hard to envision Ngannou beating Fury in a pugilistic affair unless done in reality. Francis Ngannou holds immense power in his fists but it will be challenging to connect against ‘The Gypsy King’.
Deontay Wilder, arguably the hardest-hitting heavyweight of this era, failed miserably against Tyson Fury. Hence, Ngannou has very limited chances and doesn’t seem likely to be a huge problem for Fury inside the ring.