Francis Ngannou joined Tyson Fury to announce a planned “hybrid fight” last night in London, England, but now the reigning UFC heavyweight champion is revealing more information about the potential superfight.
Ngannou, who is still recovering from knee surgery following his win over Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 earlier this year, is hoping to be cleared to fight by the end of 2022. It is unknown at this time if “Predator” will re-up his contract with UFC as negotiations remain ongoing, but he should be ready to compete in one form or another once his knee is healed.
Following his in-ring announcement with Fury, who had just decimated Dillian Whyte with a vicious sixth-round knockout (see it HERE), Ngannou caught up with BT Sport to discuss the “hybrid fight” in more detail.
“Definitely sometime next year, 2023, that fight will happen,” said Ngannou about his potential clash with Fury. “By the end of this year we’re going to sort this out and get settled. Ready to go.”
Ngannou was later asked what he thought about a fight with “Gypsy King” on African soil and the UFC champ’s eyes lit up.
“Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou in Africa will be the best one,” said Ngannou. “Rumble in the Jungle 2.”
Ngannou, who trained boxing before he ever moved over to MMA, is widely considered the most devasting knockout artist in combat sports today. The UFC heavyweight king has scored knockout finishes over the likes of Stipe Miocic, Alistair Overeem, Cain Velasquez, Curtis Blaydes, and Jairzinho Rozenstruik. It’s unknown at this time if his recent knee surgery will affect his way of fighting, but “Predator” should remain a force to be reckoned with.
That said, Ngannou will be entering dangerous grounds in a “hybrid fight” with Fury. Even if the two men wear MMA gloves “Gypsy King” should be heavily favorited. He’s a rangier fighter with exceptional experience inside of the boxing ring and possesses cardio for days. Ngannou would have to really lean on his punching power to escape that matchup in one piece.
What do you think, Maniacs? Will Fury vs. Ngannou happen in 2023? Is Africa a suitable host location?
Sound off!