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Tyson Fury has had quite the comeback, clawing his way up from the depths of drug addiction and depression to sitting atop a revitalized and exciting heavyweight boxing scene. In September he signed a $100 million deal with ESPN for his next five fights, and then turned up on WWE Smackdown a few weeks later to feud with big name superstar Braun Strowman.
The two are set to wrassle in Saudi Arabia on November 2nd, and if the rumors of royal paydays are even a quarter true he’ll be very well compensated for that endeavor. Word is the WWE gig is a one time thing, and Fury is already making big claims about his next unorthodox pivot.
In an interview with Sky Sports, “The Gypsy King” claimed he’d make his MMA debut before the end of the year, and that he’d be training with none other than Conor McGregor.
”I’ve got something big coming up after this, even bigger than this,” Fury said, referring to his WWE appearance. “We might see Tyson Fury have his MMA debut this year too. It’s different, but like I say, Tyson Fury taking over.”
“We may see Tyson Fury have his MMA debut this year”@Tyson_Fury has announced he wants to make his MMA debut this year, and may even be trained by @TheNotoriousMMA. pic.twitter.com/QJnZf3Eiq0
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) October 27, 2019
“Yeah, I’ve been speaking to Conor [McGregor] about it, and he’s willing to train me. And it’s gonna be good. I come from a long line of bare knuckle boxing champions. Getting hurt, getting bloody. You saw my last fight, blood everywhere! Nothing new to me. All a part of my heritage and upbringing. So, I’d love to get in there and smash someone up.”
”[McGregor] just said, any time you’re ready, when you get the time, let’s go,” he concluded. “Come over to Dublin, and we’ll start training. So, can’t wait! Gonna take him up on the offer. Who knows, who knows? We might be on a double header. The Gypsy King and Conor McGregor. It even rhymes, doesn’t it? Double header, Gypsy King and Conor McGregor!”
With Fury signed to UFC partner ESPN, the business synergies do seem to align … although we know how much the UFC hates straying from their cookie cutter mold. Anything too outside of standard parameters tends to turn them off. Even the idea of a beltless Conor McGregor headlining a pay-per-view event has been a sticking point with UFC management.
But strange things happen when enough money is on the table, so color us intrigued. Fury is certainly crazy enough to step into the Octagon if it makes dollars and sense. But then again, he’s also crazy enough to talk mad shite about an imaginary MMA debut and training with Conor McGregor just for a laugh.
In a sane world devoid of chaos and big money freakshow opportunities, Fury would focus on making big money boxing bouts happen with Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua. Tyson has even said in the past that much of his 2020 would be spent fighting Wilder twice (since boxing loves sticking immediate rematch clauses in their contracts). What could be brewing that’d take Fury’s eye off that prize, we wonder?