On October 28, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tyson Fury, the lineal heavyweight champion of boxing, and Francis Ngannou, the former heavyweight champion of the UFC, will square off.
The notice made it clear that the bout will follow standard boxing rules, with three ringside judges using the 10-point mandatory system.
The amount of rounds, whether Fury’s WBC heavyweight championship would be on the line, and if the contest will be recorded on either fighter’s professional boxing record are all still unknowns.
Fury said in a statement, “I can’t wait to get back out there under the lights.” I’m excited to demonstrate to the world that The Gipsy King is the best fighter of his age in a titanic struggle against another expert in his field.
According to Ngannou’s comment, “Boxing has always been my dream, and I wanted to box the best.” “Now that I’m the undisputed MMA Heavyweight Champion, this is my chance to fulfil my dream and solidify my status as the baddest man on the planet,” he said.
As there is no recognised challenger, WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman said on Tuesday that Fury gained special permission to fight Ngannou. Sulaiman said that Fury attempted to settle the bouts with Oleksandr Usyk, Anthony Joshua, and Andy Ruiz but that no deals could be reached.
As they shared the ring after Fury’s TKO victory over Dillian Whyte in the sixth round to defend his WBC heavyweight championship in London, Ngannou and Fury hinted at a potential fight in April 2022.
During that moment, Fury said, “Big Francis Ngannou is here today.” He is on my hit list for an exhibition bout, wherever he wants it to take place: in a cage, a boxing ring, with boxing gloves, with UFC gloves—we can make it happen. Everyone, in my opinion, wants to see it. Because both he and I are monsters, there will undoubtedly be a collision of the titans.
The 34-year-old Englishman came back for a trilogy fight with Derek Chisora in December, winning by stoppage in the tenth round to keep the top place in ESPN’s rankings for heavyweights.
Negotiations to match Fury (33-0-1, 24 KOs) against Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight title in London’s Wembley Stadium in April broke down in March.
Now, in a star-studded event in the Middle East, ESPN’s No. 7 pound-for-pound fighter will face off against one of the most well-known names in combat sports.
Ngannou (20-3-3 MMA record) last fought at UFC 270 in January 2022, when he defeated Ciryl Gane by majority decision to retain his heavyweight title. That ended up being Ngannou’s last match in the Octagon.
Ngannou left the MMA company in January after he and the UFC were unable to agree on a contract extension. He is now prepared to make his boxing debut, fulfilling a goal he set for himself when he left Cameroon for France at age 26.
Ngannou, 36, had surgery to repair his MCL and ACL in March. He signed a contract with the PFL two months later, which permitted him to box as well.
In March, Ngannou told ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, “My next move has to be boxing.” “I want to compete in one boxing battle before perhaps returning to MMA because I still like MMA. I wish to participate in a few boxing matches. We are working on a few things, and I should be ready to announce some prospective fight dates and places in a month or two.Though it’s taking a bit longer than I anticipated, it’s progressing. Big things develop over time.
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