Two worlds collide as Tyson Fury does battle with Francis Ngannou.
The time is finally here as former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou will do battle with WBC boxing heavyweight champion Tyson Fury this weekend. Taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on October 28, Fury versus Ngannou will be an official boxing match though the WBC title will not be on the line. Nevertheless, this event has the potential to be one of the biggest heavyweight boxing matches of all time.
After relinquishing the unified heavyweight boxing titles in 2016 and walking away from the sport, Tyson Fury would eventually come out of retirement and capture one of the four heavyweight titles. After battling alcohol addiction and becoming sober, Fury has become an advocate for mental health. His story of addiction, depression, eventual sobriety, and winning the WBC heavyweight title has made Fury one of the most popular boxers of the modern era.
On the other hand, Francis Ngannou has had his own incredible story of triumph. Hailing from Cameroon, Ngannou went on a death-defying journey to travel to Europe where he would end up in Paris, France in hopes of pursuing a boxing career. He would find himself competing in mixed martial arts instead where he would make his way to the UFC. Throughout his UFC career Ngannou would leave a trail of destruction knocking out opponents left and right. He would eventually capture the UFC heavyweight championship on his second attempt, once again by devastating KO. But his dream of boxing still remained, leading Ngannou to leave the UFC. Now Ngannou will make his dream come true as he ventures into professional boxing against Tyson Fury.
View this post on Instagram
How They Match Up
Standing 6‘9“ tall Tyson Fury will have a considerable height and reach advantage over Francis Ngannou. For that reason, Fury will likely play the outside game keeping the 6’4” Ngannou at bay. While Fury may not possess one-shot knockout power, his accuracy, and overall boxing skill make him a dangerous heavyweight combatant. Francis Ngannou is known for his destructive power in mixed martial arts. However, Ngannou won’t be fighting in his usual four-ounce gloves. He’ll have to wear ten-ounce gloves in his match which will likely minimize his punching power.
At the end of the day, the jab will be the deciding factor in this bout. Whoever is able to establish their jab will be the winner of this contest. Fury will likely use a stiff jab from the outside, while Ngannou needs to use multiple jabs to close the distance.
How to Watch
The fight will be on ESPN Pay-Per-View and is once in a lifetime battle you won’t want to miss.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
News and Editorial Writer at Generation Iron, Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Sound Cloud for in-depth MMA analysis.
Featured Image Courtesy of Instagram
