UFC heavyweight Francis Ngannou wants his idol Mike Tyson to corner him for his boxing debut.
Tyson’s legendary run as heavyweight king inspired Ngannou, who was homeless at the time, to begin training aged 22.
UFC heavyweight Francis Ngannou wants his idol Mike Tyson to corner him for his boxing debut.Credit: Instagram @francisngannou
The 33-year-old’s dream was to become a world champion boxer, but transitioned to MMA because it was a quicker way to make money.
Even now, despite being ranked the UFC’s No2 contender, Ngannou insists his goal cannot be achieved until he competes in the boxing ring and asked Tyson if he will train him for the switch of fighting codes.
He said on Tyson’s podcast: “I’ve been thinking this, it will be great if one day when I make my boxing debut, I want you in my corner.
“I wanna get your work, everything you know, and you know a lot, you’re like a library.”
Fans in the comment section urged Tyson to accept the proposal, believing the 53-year-old can pass on the legendary lessons taught to him by his mentor Cus D’Amato.
One said: “Imagine mike with this guy everyday hes gonna kill everyone.”
Another said: “Mike Tyson is back, this is what Cus D’Amato crafted him to be. A ferocious conqueror that puts fear into others before he even gets his hands on them.
One added: “I imagine if Cus talked like that with a little Tyson, just imagine the brainwash to become the youngest heavyweight champion in history. This talk that Mike does, it is a reflection of what Cus teached him.
“Ngannou can become as great as Mike Tyson with that right mentality.”
Another commented: “Mike is such a woke person he’s unreal no body in the world thinks like mike and if mike can pass some this knowledge to a guy like Francis I’m watching history in the makin.”
Unfortunately for Ngannou, Tyson – who shocked fans by revealing he will make a comeback to compete in charity bouts – already hinted he could not become a trainer, owing to the responsibility that comes with it.
Tyson told TMZ Sports: “Training is a very different animal. Fighting is nothing compared to training.
“When you got somebody else that you have to worry about, you have to worry… you have to throw in the towel.
“He might get hurt. He might lose his life. He’s going in with a real dangerous guy… it takes a special guy [to be able to cope with that].”
Francis Ngannou has described Mike Tyson as his ‘idol’Credit: Instagram @francisngannou
Mike Tyson trains UFC star Francis Ngannou ‘for Tyson Fury fight’
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
