In an exciting showdown, boxing champion Tyson Fury and MMA powerhouse Francis Ngannou are slated to go head-to-head in Saudi Arabia.
On October 28th, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tyson Fury, the lineal heavyweight champion in boxing, will face off against Francis Ngannou, the former UFC heavyweight champion.
The announcement has confirmed that the fight will adhere to boxing rules and will be held in a regulation boxing ring. Three ringside judges will utilize the 10-point must system to score the bout.
However, several key details are yet to be clarified. It remains unknown how many rounds the fight will consist of, whether Fury’s WBC heavyweight title will be up for grabs, and if the outcome will count towards their respective professional boxing records.
“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.”
On Tuesday, Mauricio Sulaiman, the president of the WBC, revealed that Tyson Fury had been granted special permission to fight Francis Ngannou due to the absence of an official challenger in the heavyweight division.
Sulaiman further explained that Fury had made attempts to secure fights against Andy Ruiz, Anthony Joshua, and Oleksandr Usyk, but no agreements were reached.
In April 2022, Fury and Ngannou hinted at a potential future encounter. The two fighters shared the ring following Fury’s impressive sixth-round TKO victory over Dillian Whyte in London, where he successfully defended his WBC heavyweight title.
“Big Francis Ngannou is here today,” Fury said at the time. “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.”
Following his unanimous-decision victory over Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 in January 2022, Francis Ngannou, with a record of 20-3-3 in MMA, concluded his stint in the Octagon as the reigning UFC heavyweight champion.
However, due to failed negotiations on a contract extension with the UFC, Ngannou officially parted ways with the organization in January. Eager to fulfill a lifelong ambition he had harbored since fleeing Cameroon for France at the age of 26, Ngannou decided to embark on a new endeavor and make his boxing debut.
In March, at the age of 36, Ngannou underwent surgery to repair his MCL and ACL, ensuring his readiness for future athletic pursuits. Two months later, he finalized an agreement with the Professional Fighters League (PFL) that not only permitted him to continue boxing but also marked a significant milestone in his career.
“My next step has to be boxing,” Ngannou told ESPN’s Brett Okamoto in March. “I want to do one boxing match first, and then maybe go back to MMA because I still enjoy MMA. I want to do a couple of fights in boxing. We are working on some stuff, and hopefully in a month or two I will be able to come out with an announcement on potential fight dates and locations.
“It’s taking a little longer than I expected, but it’s coming along. Big things come with time.”
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