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    Players who swapped football for fighting, including Rio Ferdinand, Marcin Wasilewski, Wayne Bridge and more

    FOOTBALLERS are always encouraged to think about what career path they will take when they hang up their boots.Some choose to go into coaching, others invest in property… and some decide to knock lumps out of one another.
    Marcin Wasilewski is set to begin a career in cage fightingCredit: Getty Images – Getty
    Former Leicester defender Marcin Wasilewski has become the latest ex-pro to swap shin pads for mouth guards.
    The Pole, 43, retired from football in November 2020 and was tipped to enter the world of cage fighting.
    A bout with ex-Bolton and Hearts defender Blazej Augustyn was even being lined up, however he is yet to fight.
    Here, SunSport details the fighting careers of five other footballers who have turned to the ring.
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    Rio Ferdinand
    England legend Ferdinand’s football career brought several glittering moments but his boxing days were over before they really started.
    Sponsored by a betting company to step into the ring in September 2017, the former defender was jarringly denied a licence.
    The British Boxing Board of Control deemed it ‘not beneficial’ to allow Ferdinand his second career.
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    And the Manchester United hero quickly called time on his boxing comeback.
    He said: “It is with a heavy heart that I am hanging up my gloves.
    “To not be given the chance to demonstrate my ability to the BBBofC through the standard assessment afforded to others is hard to take.”
    Fast forward to October 2020 and Matchroom chief Eddie Hearn revealed his desire to stage an Old Trafford showdown between Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney.
    Rio Ferdinand won a shedload of trophies as a footballerCredit: Getty – Contributor
    The ex-defender was unsuccessful in his attempt at a boxing careerCredit: OnEdition
    Katie Taylor
    Arguably the world’s top female boxer, Taylor is also a former Republic of Ireland international footballer.
    The ex-winger starred for Peamount United in the late 2000s yet missed her side’s FAI Women’s Cup final in 2009 to be crowned Europe’s best amateur fighter.
    Taylor won 11 caps for her country, scoring twice, before choosing to focus on boxing a decade ago.
    Former team-mate Marie Curtin would later tell the Mirror that Taylor ‘would have excelled to the highest level’ had she stayed in football.
    Curtin added: “There were no barriers. Her mindset is so strong and you need leaders like that on your team to win.”
    And Taylor fondly remembers her playing days, even recalling a crunching tackle that was posted on Twitter a couple of years ago.
    I remember it well Derek, it was intentional haha! Thanks for sharing!!— Katie Taylor (@KatieTaylor) January 5, 2018

    Katie Taylor played a number of times for the Republic of Ireland women’s teamCredit: Sportsfile – Subscription
    Wayne Bridge
    Hardly the most aggressive left-back of his day, ex-Chelsea man Bridge showed the fire in his belly with a stint in boxing two years ago.
    A Sport Relief clash with Made In Chelsea star Spencer Matthews saw the defender take on a man nine years his junior.
    The three-round affair started tightly before Bridge unleashed a barrage of blows.
    Matthews hit the deck twice and yet made it to the final bell, at which Bridge won on points.
    The former England international, who has also appeared on I’m A Celeb, retired from football aged 33 in 2014.
    His boxing career ended with that one charity fight and he is now said to refer to himself as a ‘stay-at-home dad’ for the two kids he shares with wife Frankie.
    Wayne Bridge retired from football aged 33 due to an injury nightmareCredit: Getty Images – Getty
    He agreed to a charity contest for BBC Sport ReliefCredit: BBC
    Leon McKenzie
    A star forward for the likes of Norwich, Peterborough and Coventry on the pitch, McKenzie would later forge a decent super-middleweight career.
    Having hung up his boots in January 2013, he pulled on the gloves just six months later.
    A debut win over John Mason at Bethnal Green’s historic York Hall set him on a string of nine fights without defeat.
    An English title fight with Jahmaine Smyle saw McKenzie suffer a first defeat before he rounded off an 11-fight career with a nine-round loss to Cello Renda.
    The ex-striker also joined forces with former England cricketer Steve Harmison for a talkSPORT podcast on sports stars’ post-retirement plans.
    He said: “For a while I was trying to hold on to ‘former professional boxer and footballer’. That was my identity. I’ve accepted my position now.”
    Leon McKenzie helped Norwich win promotion to the Premier League in 2004Credit: PA:Press Association
    The 42-year-old put together an impressive 11-fight boxing careerCredit: Getty Images – Getty
    Curtis Woodhouse
    Few footballers have made the switch to boxing as convincingly as Woodhouse.
    Birmingham paid £1million to sign the midfielder from Sheffield United in 2001 before spells with Peterborough, Hull and more.
    Disenchanted with the game, he quit aged 26 to spark a long career in the ring.
    An assault conviction halted Woodhouse’s rise but he soon began teaming both of his sports.
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    Over 31 fights, he claimed 24 wins and went 12 rounds with Frankie Gavin for the WBO Intercontinental welterweight belt in 2011.
    The Driffield Destroyer won English and British level titles before retiring in 2017, and can now be found managing non-league Gainsborough Trinity.
    Birmingham once paid a seven-figure fee to sign Curtis WoodhouseCredit: Getty Images – Getty
    The midfielder teamed a non-league career with a number of boxing boutsCredit: Getty Images – Getty
    Woodhouse lost six stone in weight when returning from a spell away from the ring
    Katie Taylor vows to fight on until women are given equal pay with male fighters ahead of world title defence More

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    How Cristiano Ronaldo helped broker Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou’s historic crossover fight

    CRISTIANO RONALDO played an unlikely role in Francis Ngannou’s shock showdown with Tyson Fury coming to fruition.The former UFC heavyweight champion finalised a controversial crossover clash with the Gypsy King last week – six months after leaving mixed martial arts’ top promotion.
    Francis Ngannou will box Tyson Fury in a crossover clash on October 28Credit: ESPN
    The former UFC heavyweight champion’s boxing debut will take place in Saudi ArabiaCredit: GETTY
    Footie icon Cristiano Ronaldo convinced Ngannou that Saudi ‘is the future’ of sportsCredit: INSTAGRAM@CRISTIANO
    Ngannou’s professional boxing debut will take place in Saudi Arabia and will earn him the biggest purse of his combat sports career.
    The Cameroonian clubber is no stranger to Saudi having visited in January and meeting footie star Ronaldo, who convinced him The Kingdom “is the future” of sports.
    Recalling their meeting during an appearance on The MMA Hour, The Predator said: “Yes, that’s where it started in that moment.”
    In a separate interview with TMZ, he said: “We had a good talk. He told me that Saudi [Arabia] is the future.
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    “A lot of people doesn’t understand now but they are changing really fast, it’s moving really fast.
    “And that’s even what I personally, that was my feeling when I get there.
    “It was my first time going to Saudi and I was literally like, I didn’t really know how to carry myself, how to behave myself.
    “But I get there and find out that everything is cool.
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    “It was just like normal life. It’s pretty cool, man.”
    Ngannou, 36, had a great interaction with Ronaldo – who shocked him with his knowledge of mixed martial arts.
    He said: “I’ve been following Cristiano for the past, maybe 17 years.
    “And then, you know, to get to meet him in person and find out that he is a huge fan of the sport.
    “That he knows a lot about the sport. He loves the sport. He’s watched us fight.
    “He knows a lot about me than what I was expecting. Very impressive.

    “You know, to get someone like Cristiano Ronaldo knowing the game, know you or what you are doing, is pretty cool. He’s pretty big.
    “He’s pretty huge. Listen, it’s like a huge support from him.”
    Fury, 34, is the overwhelming favourite to win the ten-rounder against the boxing Ngannou – who left the UFC as their lineal heavyweight champion.
    But he’s made sure he’ll get a second crack at the heavy hitter should the unthinkable happen.
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    Ngannou revealed: “There is a potential rematch clause.
    “I don’t know exactly how to explain that language, but yes, there is a rematch inside it.” More

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    Tyson Fury includes clause in Francis Ngannou fight contract in case he is KO’d by ex-UFC champ

    TYSON FURY has placed a rematch clause in his contract with Francis Ngannou in case disaster strikes in the crossover clash.The Gypsy King faces the former UFC heavyweight champion in a multi-million-pound Saudi showdown on October 28.
    Tyson Fury will face former UFC heavyweight champ Francis Ngannou in OctoberCredit: ESPN
    The WBC heavyweight champ’s title WON’T be up for grabs in the ten-rounderCredit: GETTY
    The Gypsy King has placed a rematch clause in his contract to face NgannouCredit: POLARIS
    Fury, 34, is the overwhelming favourite to win the ten-rounder against the boxing novice – but he’s made sure he’ll get a second crack at the Cameroonian clubber should the unthinkable happen.
    During an appearance on The MMA Hour, Ngannou revealed: “There is a potential rematch clause.
    “I don’t know exactly how to explain that language, but yes, there is a rematch inside it.”
    When asked if that would guarantee a second fight with the WBC heavyweight champ, Ngannou added: “Oh, for that one, definitely.”
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    Ngannou, however, doesn’t know if he’ll be able to exercise the rematch clause should he come up short against the Brit.
    He said: “That’s what I don’t know. We will see how it goes.”
    Fury would have to wait at least SIX MONTHS to exact revenge on Ngannou as The Predator is set to make his Professional Fighters League debut early next year.
    The Wythenshawe warrior is also expected to re-enter negotiations with Oleksandr Usyk over a historic undisputed heavyweight title fight after his clash with Ngannou.
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    Ngannou bagged a monumental showdown with Fury a mere six months after the expiration of his UFC contract.
    And his purse for his professional boxing debut is set to dwarf his ENTIRE octagon earnings.
    During an appearance on The MMA Hour, his manager Marquel Martin said: “Let’s just say this: The bag is so big, he may actually just drop it on the way to the bank.
    “I don’t know what the haters are trying to say right now, I kind of just blocked it out, but they’ll just be proven wrong again.

    “This is life-changing. This is exactly what we planned and visualised, so we’re happy.”
    When asked if Ngannou’s earnings for the fight will be more than his UFC winnings, Martin added: “Oh, my God. I mean, by far.
    “By multiples.
    “Just to make [this money] even while being champion, he would’ve had to fight multiple times just to [be in this ballpark].” More

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    I was homeless and stripping for cash before turning to MMA… now I’m one of the biggest boxing influencers in world

    ANTHONY TAYLOR was stripping for cash and sleeping rough before turning to MMA… now he is a star of influencer boxing. Taylor was 25 when he began training for MMA in 2013, going on to have over ten amateur bouts in two years.
    Anthony Taylor was once a stripper before professional fightingCredit: @anthony_prettyboy
    He is now a star of influencer boxingCredit: @anthony_prettyboy
    Anthony Taylor celebrates his last winCredit: Getty
    But after moving to Los Angeles, the American fell on hard times and took a job stripping to earn money.
    Taylor, 34, told SunSport: “I was a stripper, I had nothing. 
    “I wasn’t doing nothing with my life, I was homeless, nowhere to go and I was stripping. I was just enjoying life as a bum who had no goals, nothing.” 
    Taylor relocated from Alameda in California to LA to train with coach Antonio McKeee and his champion son AJ.
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    It was AJ – working security at a gentleman’s club – who got Taylor the male stripping job through a bartender who also worked there.
    He revealed: “It was all men who danced and nothing but women who came in. 
    “It was kind of like Magic Mike. And that’s how I got into it, I did it for a couple months, made really good money and kept at it.”
    Taylor earned up to $300 a night (£230) to take his kit off and also drove Uber but still he was without a home.
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    He went from sleeping on benches, sofa surfing and even staying in one of his coach’s gyms to get by.
    Taylor remembered: “Those times were low, the lowest times of my life.
    “Having to endure that for such a long period of time really moulded the person I am now. 
    “I was able to go through that experience and live it and understand it. Now in my life, I can say, I don’t ever wanna be there again. 
    “That low, no friends, no family, nothing. I don’t want to experience that again, so I’ll build my own family, build my own friends. I build my foundation and talent.” 
    Eventually, Taylor’s MMA career picked up and by 2018 he was fighting regularly enough and living with his trainer Antonio.
    Taylor notched five wins in a row in the cage, which caught the attention of the UFC.
    He was told should he win twice more, a deal with MMA’s premier promotion would be on the table.
    Jake Paul with Anthony TaylorCredit: Instagram @anthony_prettyboy
    Anthony Taylor is an ex-sparring partner of Jake Paul’sCredit: @anthony_prettyboy
    But then, a phone call would change the course Taylor’s life and career forever.
    He said: “Jake Paul’s coach BJ Flores calls me, ‘Hey, you wanna be Jake’s sparring partner, great opportunity, you’ll make some good money, invest it. Get you in the scene.’
    “That’s how I got into the scene with Jake Paul.” 
    Taylor left behind his UFC ambitions to join Paul’s camp, as the YouTuber-turned boxer made his mark in the sport.
    He was a sparring partner before Paul beat ex-MMA champions Ben Askren, 38, and Tyron Woodley, 41.
    From there, Taylor also got the chance to fight on Paul’s undercard twice, losing to Tommy Fury, 24, and Chris Avila, 30.
    But his time in the camp pushed his profile to new heights and saw him feature on several influencer boxing shows.
    Taylor said: “Coming into the scene, Jake helped put me on. 
    Tommy Fury beat Anthony Taylor in August 2021Credit: Getty
    Anthony Taylor also lost to Chris AvilaCredit: Amanda Westcott/SHOWTIME
    “But from there on I was able to use my own platform and make myself grow self efficiently. I give Jake credit for getting me into the game and I appreciate it. 
    “But also, I have to give myself credit because, yeah he can put you on but you have to keep doing what you’re doing so you can stay on.”
    Life could have been so much different had Taylor focussed on the UFC instead of crossover boxing – but does he feel he made the correct call?
    Taylor responded: “I wouldn’t say I made the right choice, I just stumbled into it at the right time. 
    “And I manifested this. I said I’d be one of the biggest influencers in the world and now I am, baby.” 
    Taylor returns on Saturday night in Nashville on a Misfits Boxing card, promoted by superstar KSI.
    And he faces rival Paul Bamba, 33, known for his cancelled bout with Fury last year and recent loss to Avila.
    The stakes are high for Taylor, who is coming off a win over TikTok sensation Salt Papi, but he insists 5-3 Bamba is no match for him.
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    He said: “I stop him. He doesn’t have anything that poses a threat to me in the ring.
    “It’s not like he’s going to show me something I haven’t seen before.” 
    Salt Papi was beaten by Anthony TaylorCredit: Getty
    Paul Bamba fights Anthony Taylor nextCredit: globaltitansfightseries More

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    Conor McGregor called out by Oleksandr Usyk as heavyweight as champ’s rival Tyson Fury agrees Francis Ngannou fight

    OLEKSANDR USYK has mocked Tyson Fury’s ring return – by calling out Conor McGregor.WBC heavyweight champion Fury finalised a controversial crossover clash with former UFC star Francis Ngannou earlier this week.
    Tyson Fury finalised a shock showdown with Francis Ngannou this weekCredit: ESPN
    The fight has scuppered a potential end-of-year showdown between Fury and Oleksandr UsykCredit: AP
    Boxing’s P4P king has jokingly out UFC star Conor McGregor in response to the fightCredit: SPORTSFILE
    The Saudi showdown was booked just months after The Gypsy King’s proposed undisputed title fight with pound-for-pound king Usyk fell through.
    And undefeated Ukrainian Usyk has derided Fury’s decision to face the MMA man by jokingly calling out McGregor – the biggest name in the history of the sport.
    He told SecondsOut: “I have no ambitions besides one ambition – it’s to fight Tyson Fury.
    “I saw that Conor McGregor put some significant weight on his body.
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    “Hey Conor, why don’t we make a fight at Wembley?”
    The mouthwatering showdown between Usyk and Fury fell through after very public negotiations.
    An end-of-year showdown was mooted but is now up in smoke as Fury has opted to fight Ngannou on October 28.
    Usyk will now defend his unified heavyweight titles against Fury’s stablemate and fellow Brit Daniel Dubois in Poland on August 26.
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    When pressed further on Fury’s latest outing, Usyk told Sky Sports: “This is a great opportunity for Francis Ngannou.
    “For Tyson Fury, it’s definitely not.
    “Doesn’t it seem strange that instead of choosing a top 10 guy, Tyson Fury’s choosing a guy who has never boxed before?”
    Usyk, 36, believes Fury’s decision to throw down with Ngannou was driven by fear of losing their undisputed clash.

    He said: “Of course [he’s afraid of me[. Of course.
    “Greedy belly is afraid of me.”
    Fury’s clash with Ngannou will be a ten-round affair but the Brit’s WBC title will NOT be on the line.
    The fight will be under Queensberry boxing rules, although it’s unclear whether or not it will go on both men’s professional records. More

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    Carl Froch reignites Conor McGregor feud as he calls his whiskey ‘s***’ and reveals what would happen in crossover fight

    CARL FROCH has reignited his feud with Conor McGregor by calling Proper 12 whiskey “s***” and warning him off a crossover fight. The bad blood goes back to 2017 when Froch was a commentator for McGregor’s blockbuster bout with boxing legend Floyd Mayweather.
    Carl Froch has reignited his feud with Conor McGregor by calling Proper 12 whiskey “s***”Credit: Getty Images – Getty
    Conor McGregor has feuded Carl Froch in recent years
    He criticised the UFC star’s punch power and it sparked the rivalry which is still brewing to this day.
    Froch told Betting Sites: “Conor McGregor was talking s***, wasn’t he? Talking nonsense about me and piping up.
    “Then I think he realised that actually, if he takes me on in my discipline in boxing, it’s going to be even worse than what happened to him when he fought Mayweather.
    “Mayweather is a quality fighter, but he’s small, he’s a light boxer. I’m quite heavy and I’m even heavier now.
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    “Been retired for nine years and I keep myself in shape. So I think he realises that you don’t want to be getting in the boxing ring with me which is fair enough.”
    Froch, 46, retired in 2014 after knocking out George Groves in front of 80,000 at Wembley Stadium.
    Meanwhile McGregor, 34, is yet to return to the UFC for over two years and has not boxed since defeat to Mayweather.
    And Froch added: “Conor McGregor, I’ve got to be honest, I’ve got loads of respect for him because he’s smashed it.
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    “He’s had some real tough and brave fights. He’s had his leg snapped, his head smashed in and he’s been choked out.
    “He’s made himself a fortune. I’ve got a lot of admiration for him.
    “But if a crossover fight between me and Conor McGregor could happen and people wanted to see it, that’s the important thing, then I’d happily participate in a boxing match.”
    Froch addded: “Whatever McGregor’s got, if he’s blowing it and spending it and buying Lamborghini boats and being frivolous with it by gambling, I hope he isn’t.
    “He’s earned his money the hardest way. He’s got his whiskey brand too but everyone says that whiskey tastes like s*** by the way.”
    Conor McGregor was beaten by Floyd Mayweather in 2017Credit: Getty More

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    Conor McGregor will NEVER fight Jake Paul but I’ll smoke him instead, says UFC star’s training partner Kiefer Crosbie

    CONOR McGREGOR’S training partner Kiefer Crosbie has told Jake Paul to forget about fighting the UFC star. But Crosbie would gladly step in to shut Paul up following years of the YouTuber-turned boxer calling out McGregor.
    Kiefer Crosbie with training partner Conor McGregorCredit: @kiefercrosbie_mma
    Jake Paul in training for his next fightCredit: @jakepaul
    He told SunSport: “I’d smoke Jake Paul, I’d smoke him. But obviously it comes down to a name thing.
    “The easy thing is, ‘Who’s he?’ That’s the easy way out of that fight, ‘Who’s Kieffer Crosbie?’ 
    “Cool, well move round with me then, mate. Spar me then, fight me then, it would never happen, he’d never fight me. 
    “He’d go after a bigger name with less skills, that’s what he’s trying to do or the biggest name where he knows it will never happen. 
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    “He’s calling out Canelo, calling out Conor, he knows them fights will never happen and he’d never win them fights, let’s be real. 
    “But yeah, I’d smash Jake Paul, easy. Let’s be real, he’s good and improved but you can only improve so much in a couple of years. 
    “I’m doing this my whole life, you can’t just jump into this sport and after two or three years think you can take on the world.” 
    Paul, 26, suffered defeat for the first time in February, losing a split-decision to Tommy Fury, 24, in Saudi Arabia.
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    But he snubbed a rematch to instead return on August 5 in Texas against Nate Diaz, 38, who shared two classics in the octagon with McGregor.
    Paul wants to fight McGregor, 34, afterwards and claimed he would even do it in the cage.
    But Crosbie, 33, said: “Conor is the biggest combat sports athlete of all time, so of course the whole world is going to try call him out. 
    “Jake Paul calling someone like Conor out is just stupid to me. There’s levels to this game, let’s be real here. 
    “Look what Conor’s done, all his accomplishments. He’s one of the best of all time and that’s a way all these guys are trying to get clout. 
    “They’re calling Conor out to keep their name out there but that’s just what YouTubers and celebrities try to do. 
    “They’re looking for clickbait and Conor is not bothered about all them. Jake Paul, he’s a marketing genius.”
    Conor McGregor and Kiefer Crosbie are friends and training partnersCredit: @kiefercrosbie_mma
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    Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou purse details revealed as MMA ace set to pocket ‘multiple’ times more than UFC earnings

    FRANCIS NGANNOU is set to earn a career-high payday against Tyson Fury – which will eclipse his entire UFC earnings.The Predator finalised a controversial crossover clash with the WBC heavyweight champion earlier this week.
    Francis Ngannou finalised a big-money showdown with Tyson Fury this weekCredit: ESPN
    The Predator bagged the fight six months after leaving the UFCCredit: GETTY
    Ngannou is set to take home a career-high payday for the Saudi showdownCredit: GETTY
    Ngannou, 36, bagged the most high-profile fight of his career a little over six months after leaving the UFC.
    And according to his manager Marquel Martin, the Saudi showdown will see the Cameroonian clubber pocket a “life-changing” amount of money.
    During an appearance on The MMA Hour, Martin said: “Let’s just say this: The bag is so big, he may actually just drop it on the way to the bank.
    “Let’s just say that.
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    “I don’t know what the haters are trying to say right now, I kind of just blocked it out, but they’ll just be proven wrong again.
    “This is life-changing. This is exactly what we planned and visualized, so we’re happy.”
    When asked if Ngannou’s earnings for the fight will be more than his UFC winnings, Martin added: “Oh, my God. I mean, by far. By multiples.
    “Just to make [this money] even while being champion, he would’ve had to fight multiple times just to [be in this ballpark].”
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    Ngannou and Fury’s showdown will be a ten-round affair under the official Queensberry boxing rules.
    But it’s not yet known if the fight will count on both men’s records.
    Knockout artist Ngannou trained as a boxer before being convinced to try his hand at mixed martial arts by former head coach Fernand Lopez.
    And he plans to turn the combat sports world upside down by becoming the first man to defeat the fleet-footed Fury.

    He 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…
    “All I will say to Tyson for now is he better dance in that ring because if I touch him, he’s going to sleep.” More