Fury returns to the boxing ring but not against Oleksandr Usyk, but rather, against former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou who makes his professional boxing debut against the Briton on October 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Although many critics feel the fight is an obvious money grab with Ngannou having next to no shot, things got interesting when it was announced that Mike Tyson would be coaching him for the fight.
“It is no secret I back Ngannou 100 percent in this face-off of champions,” Tyson said at the time. “He has one hard punch, and when it lands, it’s game over. I am looking forward to working with Ngannou and supporting his transition from the octagon to the boxing ring.
“He isn’t a combat novice; he is a world champion. He knows how to compete when the bell rings, but the key will be combining his energy and combat skills into his punches and using his agility to move swiftly around the ring then delivering the knock-out blow. We’re here to win.”
Tyson Fury, of course, was named after the legendary former heavyweight champion and has always held him in extremely high regard.
That’s why “The Gypsy King” feels almost disappointed that Tyson is going against him and that the boxing icon should be in his corner instead.“I think that it’s sad, actually,” Fury told Sky Sports (via Boxing Social). “The man that I am named after, a legend, has to go against me and then come out as a loser, having lost to a man who was named after him. I think that it’s sad and I think that he should be in my corner, not the opposing corner, but business is business and I understand that it’s strictly business.
“No matter what he teaches this fella [Ngannou], no matter how much boxing training he does, everyone has got a plan until they get punched in the face and I’m not sure who said that, but that is true. They’ve all got a plan until they get smacked in the mouth.”
Should Fury defeat Ngannou as expected, the expectation is that negotiations will recommence over a heavyweight title unification fight with Usyk for early 2024.
