The upcoming heavyweight crossover clash between MMA star Francis Ngannou and Boxing legend Tyson Fury is creating a buzz in the combat sports community. Furthermore, the former UFC heavyweight champion is heading towards a huge $10 million payday, the biggest of his life, which is grabbing a lot of attention. Since the announcement of the fight, many experts and fans have shared their opinions about it. Now, UFC commentator and podcaster Joe Rogan followed suit by giving his two cents on the exciting heavyweight crossover in a recent episode of the ‘JRE Fight Companion’.
The heavyweights will fight under boxing regulations for the title of the ‘Baddest Motherfu*ker on the Planet’ on October 28th in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. As per recent reports, the organizers will present a “Riyadh Belt” to the winner of this fight.
Joe Rogan reacts to Francis Ngannou vs. Tyson Fury
The UFC commentator Joe Rogan is considered a veteran and a big fan of the sport. Thus, many elements of the fight fascinated the American podcaster. He often discusses hot topics on his podcast and so the live fight analyst touched upon the crossover in a recent episode.
Recently, he sat down with Bryan Callen, Brendan Schaub, and Sam Tripoli to watch UFC 293 this past weekend. During their conversation, he shared his opinion on the Fury vs. Ngannou fight. Rogan said:
“I don’t know what the belt is, but they’ve created a belt. Riyadh championship belt. So the Saudi Arabian championship belt. Good for them… Hey bro – What they are doing over there is wild. They are throwing wild amounts of money.”
The UFC commentator was not looking impressed by the Riyadh belt concept. But he was happy with what was in store for Ngannou from the crossover fight. However, Rogan’s reaction wasn’t the same when ‘The Predator’ made the decision to leave UFC earlier this year.
Rogan’s reaction to Ngannou’s UFC exit
Ngannou’s decision to leave the front-running MMA promotion shocked the combat sports community. ‘The Predator’ demanded freedom for a boxing fight and some extra perks, but the UFC did not comply, resulting in the heavyweight’s departure.
Joe Rogan has maintained a good bond with the Cameroonian-French fighter and has also had him as a guest on his podcast. Therefore, he was not happy with his decision to leave the MMA promotion. Rogan said:
“I’m mad because I feel like we were deprived of one of the great fights in MMA, one of the most compelling fights in MMA.“
The UFC commentator would not like the best heavyweight fighter in the world not holding a championship. That’s why he wished to see who would win between Jones and Ngannou. Additionally, Rogan also suspected that his decision to leave the UFC had something to do with the heavyweight fighter’s desire to venture into boxing.
Despite leaving a huge MMA promotion UFC, Ngannou has done well for himself so far. He has found a potential suiter in PFL and also had his boxing crossover wishes come true. However, it remains to be seen how he will fare in his boxing debut.
