Francis Ngannou, former UFC MMA champion, faces the best boxer in the world, Tyson Fury, this evening in an already historic English boxing match. Presentation of the shock.
Tonight, two sacred monsters of combat sports face each other. But these are also two disciplines that meet: Francis Ngannou, MMA fighter, comes to face boxer Tyson Fury on his home turf, or rather in an English boxing ring. The Cameroonian fighter has set himself an immense challenge by tackling this new discipline, with a duel that he says he has been waiting for “for four years”. Facing him, the best heavyweight in the world, undefeated in 34 matches (33 wins, one draw).
The fight takes place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and will be fought over 10 3-minute rounds. Ngannou, 37, was among the world’s best heavyweights in MMA and comes up against the best in boxing. If he was renowned for his unparalleled punch in an octagon, but not sure that it would be enough in a boxing ring against the very best. Fury is not putting his world belt on the line this evening, but is playing big all the same, especially since he has not fought since December 2022. The trainer of Francis Ngannou, who has also spent more than year and a half removed from the fights, is none other than Mike Tyson, who undoubtedly accompanied him perfectly in this ambitious transformation.
The two protagonists exchanged pleasantries at a press conference, with Tyson Fury notably calling his opponent a “fat sausage”. On a more serious tone, Fury’s coach, American Sugar Hill, explained that the preparation had been very difficult “because we don’t know what to expect against Ngannou”. Mike Tyson told him that he had doubted his protégé, before being quickly convinced by Ngannou’s performance: “When the fight was announced, I said to myself ‘it’s not possible’. And when I saw Francis putting on the gloves in training, knocking your sparring partner to the mat, I thought something was possible.”
Other tempting posters will precede this clash, including a duel between the two winners of Frenchman Tony Yoka, Carlos Takam and Martin Bakole. All matches tonight are between heavyweights. Here is the list of scheduled fights:
The evening will start at 6 p.m., but the fight between Fury and Ngannou should start around 11 p.m. (French time), although the official times have not yet been announced.
The DAZN platform has the rights to broadcast the fight internationally, and it is the only way to see the match live in France. The evening is accessible via a “pay-per-view” system, which should cost €14.99 for the event.
