Francis Ngannou – Source: Cooper Neill / Getty
In a bizarre plot twist, Francis Ngannou will face heavyweight champion Tyson Fury this October in Saudi Arabia.
For the past two years since Francis Ngannou’s last UFC fight, he has teased a boxing crossover match. Let us just be honest here fighters heard how much Jake Paul was making and wanted in immediately. A bad night for Jake Paul brings him home eight figures and a great night in the UFC reportedly only brings a low six figures. We can look no further than Francis leaving the UFC to get a confirmation he wants the bag more than anything else. The good news is he is free to explore those options, the bad news is he will face the current heavyweight champ, Tyson Fury.
According to ESPN, there was no other option for Fury on the table. WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman revealed he tried to close deals with Anthony Joshua, Oleksandr Usyk, and Andy Ruiz. However, everyone one of them essentially ran from the smoke. His hand was forced to give Fury special permission for a fight of his choice.
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“I can’t wait to get back out there under the lights,” Fury said in a statement. “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.”
“My dream was always to box, and to box the best,” Ngannou said in his statement. “After becoming the undisputed MMA Heavyweight Champion, this is my opportunity to make that dream come true and cement my position as the baddest man on the planet.”
The match will take place on Oct. 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia under boxing regulations. Reportedly the bout will be 10 rounds as well. This isn’t like Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather but will still make for an interesting event. The real question is will people want to pay to witness the fight?
