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News, Blog and GuidesThe former UFC heavyweight champion, who is taking his fight with ‘The Gipsy King’ very seriously, wants to pull off the upset and shock the boxing world.
Fidel RubioUpdate: Aug 3rd, 2023 13:10 EDT
Francis Ngannou wanted to get a boxing fight with Tyson Fury for a long time and now it’s a reality that is getting closer.
The former UFC heavyweight king has revealed that he has hired Mike Tyson to be his head trainer for the non-title boxing match, which will take place in Saudi Arabia on October 28.
The boxing world wanted to see Tyson Fury face Oleksandr Usyk for heavyweight supremacy, especially after the Ukrainian defeated Anthony Joshua for a second time. However, there was no agreement between both sides after a few weeks of negotiations.
Fury’s last fight took place in December 2022, when he defeated Dereck Chisora via TKO in the 10th round, retaining his WBC heavyweight title.
Ngannou last fought in January 2022, beating former teammate Cyril Gane at UFC 270 via unanimous decision.
Mike Tyson, excited about the fight
Iron Mike admitted he is excited about such a fight with two of the most feared men in world sports.
“It is no secret I back Ngannou 100% in this face-off of champions. 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 said.
“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 added.
Mike Tyson gave Francis Ngannou tips on how to fight Tyson Fury when they met. Now Ngannou has officially appointed Tyson as one of his trainers to be in his corner for their fight on Oct 28th…[🎥 @MikeTyson & @Francis_Ngannou]pic.twitter.com/LdWdGNjDKb
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) August 3, 2023
The Cameroonian, meanwhile, feels confident and motivated going into the fight against Fury:
“Bringing Mike Tyson into my training camp is one of the best decisions I can make to prepare for Tyson Fury in the ring at this year’s Riyadh Season. Mike Tyson is an idol of mine in the sport. His experience and boxing IQ will be important to honing my technique under his guidance to win this super fight”
