Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou will make his boxing debut this month against WBC champion Tyson Fury. This highly anticipated heavyweight clash will take place on October 28th in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Ngannou has been looking forward to this battle for a long time. However, this had never happened previously because he was under contract with the UFC. He is now one step closer to fulfilling his goal and will probably receive a handsome salary in excess of $10,000,000.
However, many people are questioning why Fury isn’t fighting in the MMA cage, which is Ngannou’s natural habitat. The former UFC heavyweight champion recently revealed his opinion on the matter.
Francis Ngannou said it is suicidal for Tyson Fury to enter a MMA cage against him
The Cameroonian fighter’s debut against a world champion boxer like Tyson Fury will undoubtedly be difficult. When it comes to MMA, though, Ngannou is just the greatest.
He has some of the most lethal knockout victories in UFC history. Therefore, Fury has little chance against him inside the MMA cage. Considering the same, Ngannou, in an interview with Ariel Helwani on the MMA Hour, said:
“I don’t think Tyson would do that. That would be suicidal.”
Interestingly, the former UFC champion’s boxing contract includes a rematch provision. According to sources, if Ngannou defeats Fury, they will fight again. It is, however, extremely improbable that it will be an MMA bout.
Because Fury has vowed several times that he will never compete inside a cage. Nonetheless, it will benefit Ngannou because a rematch will result in more earnings for him. He has, however, been warned about his upcoming boxing debut against the champion.
Khabib Nurmagomedov and his coach are skeptical about Ngannou’s debut
Although Francis Ngannou is a top MMA fighter, he lacks Fury’s boxing skills. As a result, many people feel Ngannou has little probability of defeating Fury.
Former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, as well as his longtime coach Javier Mendez, share this viewpoint. They lauded the British boxer’s unblemished record. Mendez even predicted an early knockout win for Fury.
They were also of the opinion that only a few boxers give tough competition to Fury. Nonetheless, Ngannou is recognized as one of the most powerful strikers in MMA. As a result, his abilities cannot be fully ignored.
