Teddy Atlas Reveals Deceptive Training Request Conversations From Ngannou

Teddy Atlas has questioned Francis Ngannou’s intentions after the MMA star hired Mike Tyson, as his trainer and cornerman, instead of him.

The former UFC heavyweight champion is set to face Tyson Fury on October 28th, 2023, in what will be his boxing debut.

And as part of that process, ‘Iron Mike’ has been brought on board in an attempt to pull off one of the biggest upsets in history.

But prior to that happening, it appears that Atlas was approached about working with Ngannou.

As that ultimately did not go anywhere, Atlas has had a few words of discontent in the aftermath. 

Iron Mike #FuryNgannou pic.twitter.com/0EIN8i60y7

— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) August 4, 2023

“Ngannou’s people had asked me about the possibility of training him…I’m not gonna say yes or no until I go through the trial period and see if I wanna work with you.

“They call me back and say, ‘Let’s get the dates that you can come out… We’ll get back to you.’ … The next day, my son sends me a thing announcing that they’re getting Mike Tyson to train him.

“Obviously, you made that deal with Tyson and you’re asking me to go out to Vegas to do a trial. Why not be upfront with me? Just don’t feel good,” Atlas

Nevertheless, having Tyson on board may not change the outcome of the fight. Ngannou is a massive underdog, as he is taking on the WBC heavyweight champion.

Although there is a puncher’s chance, Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz were also MMA stars who failed to come out with a victory in their boxing debuts.