Francis Ngannou and Tyson Fury are scheduled to face each other in a professional boxing match in Saudi Arabia, in a 10-round bout under traditional boxing rules, but the title will not be at stake.
For more than a year, there have been discussions between Francis Ngannou and Tyson Fury about the possibility of a boxing match. However, after Ngannou became a free agent early this year, the discussion seemed to stall. Fury shifted his focus towards a title unification match with Oleksandr Usyk, while Ngannou seemed to be considering a matchup with Deontay Wilder. Unexpectedly, it was announced last week that Ngannou and Fury will be facing off in a boxing match on October 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. According to Ngannou, the seemingly sudden announcement was a result of swiftly conducted negotiations.
Ngannou elaborated on this development during The MMA Hour, “It really started one month ago, five weeks ago,” he explained. “And then I received a call from [a representative] in Saudi and he was like, ‘They want to do this fight. Let’s meet in New York.’ At that time, I wasn’t very excited. I was like, OK, let’s find out what’s going on. … We get to New York, we start to meet people, and we start to talk.” The negotiations came together quickly, concluding within two weeks.
Details surrounding the fight are still unclear, as multiple reports have provided conflicting information. At this point, it is confirmed that the bout will be 10 rounds, fought under traditional boxing rules. No four-ounce gloves or MMA-adherent stipulations will apply. As validated by Ngannou, the fight is an official professional matchup and will be recorded on both fighters’ records. However, Fury’s WBC heavyweight title will not be at stake in this fight. Ngannou stated, “It’s a real fight, it’s going on our records. The only difference is there’s not going to be a title on the line…I was going for the fight, I wasn’t going for the title. So for me, personally, nothing changes.”
In the boxing community, Ngannou is anticipated to be an underdog against Fury, who is one of the finest boxers of his generation and the top heavyweight currently. This will be Ngannou’s first professional boxing match. Even he understands why many boxing enthusiasts are skeptical about the matchup. He said, “They have the guy on the other side that is the top of the sport and on [my] side, they have this guy that they’ve never seen in a boxing match. Some of them, those boxing fans, they might never have even watched my fights…” Nevertheless, Ngannou is apparently preparing intensely for the match and looking forward to competing with Fury. Even if he is ruled out by Fury, he feels he has already won by merely booking the fight.