British heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury will return to action later this year against Francis Ngannou, the Cameroonian-French mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter currently signed to the Professional Fighters League (PFL) promotion and a former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champion.
Announced yesterday (July 11) by Fury’s promoters Top Rank and Frank Warren and Ngannou’s newly created Gimik Fight Promotions company, the bout represents an unexpected move by Fury, who is considered the biggest draw in boxing at present and for whom there has been a clamor to fight either Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk or fellow Brit Anthony Joshua.
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Fury-Ngannou will take place on October 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and is claimed to be one of the richest fights in sporting history.
Billed as determining the “Baddest Man on the Planet,” it will adhere to the official rules of professional boxing, with three judges ringside adopting the 10-point must system.
While it is highly unlikely Ngannou will be able to compete with Fury, a narrative has been built around his having the most powerful punch in the world as per Guinness World Records.
Fury said: “As soon as that bell goes, it’ll be bombs away. This guy is supposed to be the hardest puncher in the world, but let’s see how he reacts when he gets hit by the Big GK. I can’t wait to get back out there under the lights. 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.”
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By GlobalDataNgannou commented: “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.”
Fury will go into the bout off the back of a victory in the third of his career trilogy against Derek Chisora. Prior to that, he was victorious against Dillian Whyte and earlier Deontay Wilder in the third of their meetings. He remains undefeated, although has received some recent criticism for appearing not to make what is deemed the current top fight in boxing against Usyk.
Ngannou, meanwhile, last fought in January 2022, beating Ciryl Gane in a UFC bout. In May this year, it was announced that he had entered an exclusive strategic partnership with the PFL that sees the US-based series expanding into Africa, with Ngannou a minority equity owner and chair of the new PFL Africa regional series.
The deal will see him fight exclusively in MMA for the PFL’s new pay-per-view Super Fight Division, joining the likes of Jake Paul and Kayla Harrison – but the exclusivity does not extend to boxing.
Marquel Martin, chief executive of 3Point0 Labs, the sports advisory and innovation company that represents Ngannou, said: “Francis has been defeating the odds since he was born and so has Tyson from what I understand. Both are ‘Kings’ of their respective heavyweight divisions in their primes, and we finally get to see whose head is fit to wear the crown.”
Top Rank chairman Bob Arum commented: “Tyson Fury is one of the finest heavyweight boxers in history, and he now has an opportunity to lock horns with an MMA legend. This will be a historic event, and we know that Tyson Fury will put on a tremendous fight. The people of Riyadh and fight fans around the world are in for a real treat.”
Frank Warren added: “This heavyweight clash has ‘war’ written all over it. Tyson Fury is the most exciting heavyweight on the planet. It is a game changer; we didn’t want to wait for Tyson to get out and here we are at Riyadh Season in a super-fight.
“Tyson is at his best when he is breaking new boundaries and this event is one of a kind. History will be made in Riyadh with a battle of the giants from the two leading codes of combat fighting. Tyson is the true King of the Ring and Francis Ngannou will present an intriguing challenge as he has the much-publicized most powerful punch in the world, this guy has a sledgehammer in each hand.
“Can Tyson avoid the sledgehammer all fight? What happens if it lands? It will be a truly spectacular event and Riyadh Season will provide a stage fit for two champions in one boxing ring.”
