Francis Ngannou has a massive challenge ahead of him.
“The Predator” got his wish and will enter the boxing ring as a professional for the first time next month (Oct. 28, 2023). Standing in Ngannou’s way will be none other than one of boxing all-time greatest Heavyweights, Tyson Fury.
Should the former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Heavyweight titleholder, Ngannou, pull off the upset against Fury, he’d become the first person to defeat “The Gypsy King” in 34 professional matches. During his training camp and preparations for the spectacle, Ngannou is aided by the legendary Mike Tyson, who believes a win for Ngannou would be of a historic magnitude.
“It would be the biggest upset in the history of entertainment,” Tyson told media at Ngannou’s media workout in Las Vegas (h/t MMA Junkie).
While Tyson has worked closely with Ngannou ahead of the bout, he wanted to clarify he hasn’t tried to change the Cameroonian into a version of himself.
“No way,” Tyson said when asked if he’s taught Ngannou his style of boxing. “We’re different people. We have different styles. He’s going to box like Francis, and he’s going to do well.
“It’s not for everybody. It’s great for me, but for most people, it won’t work for them,” he concluded.
Ngannou and Fury both haven’t fought in 2023. The mixed martial arts (MMA) champion’s last appearance in the Octagon came in a successful unanimous decision title defense against Ciryl Gane in January 2022. Meanwhile, Fury last earned a 10th round technical knockout over Derek Chisora in December 2022 (watch highlights).
Tyson understands the difficulty of the match up Ngannou has in front of him. From what they’ve achieved so far, he’s liked what he’s seen.
“Listen, you’re going to see he’s been constantly improving, and I’m very proud of him to take this whole ordeal and perspective,” Tyson said. “He’s fighting the greatest fighter in the last … maybe the greatest fighter ever. I’m looking forward to that, and I’m so proud of him to take this step and do the impossible, so to speak.”