WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury has confirmed rumors that his next fight will be against MMA fighter Francis Ngannou and will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on October 28.
Fury’s first fight since beating Derek Chisora had long been speculated to be against someone from outside of traditional boxing circles, with either Ngannou or UFC star Jon Jones amongst those being suggested.
However, while Jones would have needed permission from UFC president Dana White, Ngannou’s departure in January and deal with the Professional Fighters League left him able to agree to this exhibition boxing match.
The Baddest Men On The Planet
He had joined Fury in the ring after the British boxer had defeated Dillian Whyte last April at Wembley Stadium and will now be competing with him for the title of ‘Baddest Man on the Planet’.
Fury said: “As soon as that bell goes, it’ll be bombs away! This guy is supposed to be the hardest puncher in the world, but let’s see how he reacts when he gets hit by the Big GK.
“I can’t wait to get back out there under the lights. I’m looking forward to showing the world that The Gypsy King is the greatest fighter of his generation in an epic battle with another master of his craft.
“Francis looked tough when he jumped in the ring after the Whyte fight, but there is no one tougher than me.”
A Dream Come True
For his part, Ngannou described the chance to fight Fury as a dream come true, having originally left his home in Cameroon with the aim of becoming a professional boxer. However, after legal issues and a spell living on the streets, he was invited to try MMA instead.
He made his UFC debut in December 2015, beating Luis Henrique by knockout in the second round and quickly developed a reputation as one of the best UFC fighters around. His last fight was in January 2022 when he beat Ciryl Gane by unanimous decision, his 17th win in 20 matches.
That helped him defend his position as UFC heavyweight champion, but that was followed by a frustrating year that ended without a contract being agreed upon, so when his current deal expired, he left UFC and was stripped of his title.
In May he signed a multi-fight deal with the PFL in their super fight division, as well as gaining a place on their global advisory board. Most importantly the deal was not exclusive, giving Ngannou the chance to finally achieve his dream of taking part in a professional boxing match.
His promoter Marquel Martin has been quick to point out that Ngannou’s fight purse for this one bout alone eclipses all of the money he made from his UFC bouts combined as well as more than he was offered to sign a new contract.
The huge sums of money being made available to Fury and his opponent are another example of the heavy investment being made in sports by Saudi Arabia at the moment.
The fight in October will take place under official boxing rules and may give Fury the chance to get into fighting shape ahead of a likely clash with Oleksandr Usyk – having been warned that his lengthy spell out of the ring was setting him up for a disaster.
Written and distributed by Chat T Sports.
