Can Francis Ngannou See Off Tyson Fury With A Future Exhibition Fight On Cards?
After defeating Dillian Whyte with a perfect uppercut in the sixth round of their highly anticipated fight recently, Tyson Fury is reportedly gearing up for another appealing contest against UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. With Fury suggesting that he could be retiring from boxing soon, the exhibition match against Ngannou could be one of his last battles in the ring.
Official confirmation around any bout between the Gypsy King and the Cameroonian mixed martial artist is yet to materialize, but following his victory at Wembley, Fury certainly didn’t rule it out, saying: “This is going to be one very special fight. It’ll be something never seen before in the history of our sport. We’re not talking about two guys around 140lb, I’m 270lb, he’s 270lb. It’s going to be an explosive fight when it happens. I’m the boxing heavyweight champion, he’s the UFC heavyweight champion, he’s in great shape, look at the muscles on him.”
With the fight expected to take place in the near future, pundits and experts alike are already suggesting that Fury will prove to be too strong for Ngannou, particularly when it comes to his all-around boxing skillset. When it comes to boxing bets, the odds will surely favor Fury also. Likewise, Fury’s huge support will undoubtedly be cheering him on in their numbers wherever the fight takes place, too. But as UFC fans will know, Francis Ngannou is a warrior and someone who is certainly capable of pulling off a shock should the two meet in the near future.
Below are a few reasons as to why Ngannou could well reign supreme in the ring against one of boxing’s biggest ever characters.
A life-changing event for Ngannou
Similar to the hype surrounding Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather when they met in 2017, any match-up between Fury and Ngannou would surely smash all records. Fans will be attending in their thousands, the media coverage will potentially be like nothing we’ve ever seen before, and some of the money exchanging hands between promoters and television companies could be astronomical. For Francis Ngannou, although he’s obviously living a comfortable life and thriving in the UFC, he probably won’t ever get another pay packet like it. Figures around any Fury fight are usually huge, and this will be no different, especially given its global appeal and the cross-over between two hugely popular sports. While Francis Ngannou has already changed his family’s life forever, an exhibition fight with Fury will enable him to go one step further and make even more money.
Fury could underestimate Ngannou
When it comes to boxing skills, Fury is one of the best heavyweight boxers of all time in that respect, therefore making Francis Ngannou’s challenge seemingly impossible. What could work in the Cameroonian’s favor, though, is lackluster.
Fury who has been known to take his eye off the ball in the past, particularly around training. Whether or not Fury will train as hard for this potential bout as he did for some of his recent boxing fights remains to be seen, but Francis Ngannou certainly will. With Ngannou’s hunger and determination, he could shock Fury on the night should the English fighter head into the fight in bad shape or underestimate his UFC counterpart. In fact, even Floyd Mayweather was surprised at what McGregor offered in the ring, with Ngannou capable of doing something similar. On McGregor’s boxing skills, Mayweather said: “He’s a hell of a fighter standing up. It kind of shocked me. He’s a very awkward opponent and he’s a tough competitor. He was taking it. He’s real awkward.”
Ngannou possesses the power
Although Tyson Fury has changed his style somewhat and implemented more power behind his punches after working with SugarHill Steward, the UFC heavyweight champion undoubtedly possesses more power. Should Ngannou connect, it could easily be over.