TYSON FURY will return to the ring to face UFC legend Francis Ngannou in a historic crossover fight THIS WEEKEND.
The WBC champion and the MMA star have been going back and forth with one another on social media for the best part of two years.
TYSON FURY VS FRANCIS NGANNOU: ALL THE DETAILS YOU NEED AHEAD OF HUGE CROSSOVER CLASH
Fury and Ngannou will now take to the ring to end their long-standing online feud.
A shock showdown between the pair was mooted after Ngannou entered the ring and faced off with Fury following the Gypsy King’s knockout win against Dillian Whyte at Wembley back over a year ago.
The fight went cold as Ngannou was still contracted to UFC and MMA mogul Dana White refused to entertain the bout.
But now the 37-year-old walked out on the UFC at the start of the year and instead signed for rivals The Professional Fighters League.
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The PFL gave Ngannou the green light to make his dream switch to boxing.
And it paved the way for him to climb right to the top of the tree to challenge the lineal champion Fury.
A win for Ngannou would be among the sport’s greatest shocks while Fury would suffer a disastrious defeat.
After all, he’s already lined himself up a huge fight against Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight titles.
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So legacies and reputations are on the line this Saturday in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Who are their trainers?
Fury linked up with Sugarhill Steward – nephew to the legendary Emanuel – before his 2020 rematch with Deontay Wilder.
The pair have since won all four of their bouts together, including two wins over Wilder, with all of the victories coming by stoppage.
Ngannou’s striking coach has long been former kickboxer Dewey Cooper, who will be in his corner against Fury.
As will his head MMA trainer Eric Nicksick and boxing icon Mike Tyson, who has mentored Ngannou throughout his camp.
What belts are on the line?
As Ngannou is making his professional boxing debut – and therefore not ranked by the WBC – he cannot challenge for Fury’s belt.
But the WBC are involved in the spectacle showdown and have introduced a “Riyadh Champion” belt.
Fury’s brother Tommy won a similar “Diriyah Belt” in February following his win over Jake Paul.
The Gypsy King is the lineal champion, so a win for Ngannou means he would be deemed the mythical champ.
What happened in Fury’s last fight?
Fury suffered frustration last year as he failed to get fights with Anthony Joshua or Usyk over the line.
So he had to settle with an unwanted trilogy bout with Derek Chisora, who he had twice stopped in the past.
The trilogy at Spurs’ 62,000-seater was as one-sided as it could be with Fury winning in ten rounds.
It proved to be nothing more than a runout for Fury, who again set his sights on Usyk.
What happened in Ngannou’s last fight?
Ngannou left the UFC after a five-round decision win over Frenchman Ciryl Gane in California.
And he was expected to meet Jon Jones in a heavyweight super-fight.
But talks between Ngannou and the UFC broke down amid a disagreement in terms.
So it allowed the Cameroonian to cross over to the boxing ring.
How much will they make?
Tyson and Francis Ngannou are reportedly set to receive a lucrative paycheck after their highly-anticipated fight.
According to Sport Bible, Ngannou will earn a staggering £6million for this bout.
That is 10 times more than what the 37-year-old made in his last UFC fight in 2022 before he quit Dana White’s promotion.
Fury’s earnings haven’t been confirmed yet but it is safe to imagine he will pocket even more from the oil rich nation.
The Mancunian made $5m (£4m) as a base purse for his third fight against Deontay Wilder two years ago.
When is Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou?
- Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou will take place this weekend on Saturday, October 28.
- The bout will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- Expect ring-walks to get going from around 10.45pm UK time.
- The fight will be a 10-round professional fight but Fury’s WBC belt will NOT be on the line.
- Exhibition rules will NOT be in place.
What channel is Fury vs Ngannou on and can it be live streamed?
- Fury’s clash with Ngannou has been confirmed to be shown live on TNT Sports Box Office in the UK.
- TNT Sports have confirmed that the PPV price will cost fans £21.95 which is cheaper than Tommy Fury’s win against KSI.
- You can live stream the action from the TNT Sports Box Office app, which is available for download onto your mobile or tablet device.
Fury vs Ngannou full card
Perhaps the tastiest fight on the undercard is between Davie Adeleye and Fabio Wardley.
The pair came to blows at the Fury vs Ngannou press conference last month and Wardley was left bloodied.
Full card below (subject to change):
- Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou
- Fabio Wardley vs. David Adeleye
- Joseph Parker vs. Simon Kean
- Arslanbek Makhmudov vs. Junior Anthony Wright
- Moses Itauma vs. Istvan Bernath
- Carlos Takam vs. Martin Bakole
- Jack McGann vs. Alcibiade Duran Galvan
What’s been said?
Fury said after he beat Whyte in 2022: “Big Francis Ngannou is here today.
“He’s on my hit list in an exhibition fight, however he wants it: in a cage, in a boxing ring, boxing gloves, UFC gloves, we can make it happen. I think everyone wants to see it.
“He’s a monster of a guy, I’m a monster of a guy, so it will be a clash of the titans for sure.”
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Ngannou has said: “I’ve been waiting to meet Tyson in the ring for the past three years.
“My dream was always to box, and to box the best. 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.”
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
