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Mike Tyson sends direct warning to Tyson Fury ahead of Francis Ngannou fight: ‘You’re going to have tough evening’

Taking direct coaching duties for former undisputed UFC heavyweight champion, Francis Ngannou ahead of his professional boxing debut later this month in Saudi Arabia, former world champion boxer, Mike Tyson has warned incumbent WBC best, Tyson Fury to prepare for a battle of his will against the Cameroonian. Tyson, who snapped his retirement for an […]

Tyson, who snapped his retirement for an exhibition boxing clash with fellow former world champion, Roy Jones Jr. back in 2020, has turned his attention to coaching in the time since, serving as a part of former UFC champion, Ngannou’s team for his boxing debut with Morecambe native, Fury at the end of this month in Riyadh.

Tyson Fury receives direct warning from Mike Tyson

And whilst the New York native has come under fire from Fury’s father, John Fury for coaching Ngannou – given the fact his son, Tyson is named after the legendary knockout artist, Mike Tyson has warned his namesake that a tough showdown awaits him against the Batié striker in the Middle East.

“Hey, good luck brother,” Mike Tyson told Tyson Fury during a recent interview with ESNews. “Train hard because you’re going to have a tough evening that night.”

Already attempting to book his next outing after his Riyadh clash with Ngannou later this month, Fury has put pen to paper on a fight contract to take on fellow heavyweight world champion, Oleksandr Usyk in an undisputed title fight – which is currently targeted to take place on December 23. in Saudi Arabia – just 8 weeks after his 10 round clash with Ngannou.

Reacting to news of Fury’s hasty return plans, Ngannou speculated that the Morecambe puncher will be in no fit state to compete so soon after their fight, vowing to leave him medically unfit for a quickfire return.

Will Tyson Fury remain undefeated against Francis Ngannou?

Video – Cedric Doumbe scores devastating 6 second KO win in PFL Europe 3 debut after rejecting UFC contract

Former GLORY Kickboxing welterweight champion has landed in the PFL (Professional Fighters League) on home soil – in truly spectacular fashion, securing a staggering 6-second knockout win over Jordan Zebo in his promotional bow in Paris. Doumbe, who featured in hist fifth professional mixed martial arts contest tonight in the French capital, maintained his undefeated […]

Doumbe, who featured in hist fifth professional mixed martial arts contest tonight in the French capital, maintained his undefeated record, stopping Zebo inside just six seconds with a spectacular left hook counter – after catching a high-kick attempt.

Cedric Doumbe scores a thunderous 6-second knockout win in his PFL MMA debut

Dropping Zebo with a stunning counter shot, the former GLORY Kickboxing championship holder then followed up with a slew of ground strikes, lodging his first victory under the PFL banner in just six seconds on home soil – with Paris Saint Germain footballer, Kylian Mbappe watching from the arena.

Competing exclusively in his native France following a professional mixed martial arts debut win in the United Arab Emirates, Cameroonian-born French striker, Cedric Doumbe managed to retain his 100 percent finish rate tonight at PFL Europe 3 tonight to boot with his finish of Zebo, following consecutive knockout triumphs.

Infamously, Doumbe, who ended his GLORY Kickboxing tenure with a second round KO win over Murthel Groenhart in Rotterdam, The Netherlands – rejected a prior offer to join the UFC, who are alleged to have offered the 31-year-old knockout artist a less than lucrative multi-fight contract.

Elsewhere on the card, Abdoul Abdouraguimov scored his first victory since landing in the PFL – having also rejected a deal to join the UFC, submitting Brad Wheeler in the opening round with a rear-naked choke submission, in his first outing since his time with ARES – where he landed two championship victories in separate divisions.

What are your thoughts on Cedric Doumbe’s stunning win at PFL Europe 3?

Francis Ngannou still hopeful of Jon Jones fight regardless of UFC involvement: ‘It’s bigger than a title’

Former undisputed heavyweight champion, Francis Ngannou claims he is still holding out hope for an eventual tangle with long-time rival and incumbent UFC heavyweight champion, Jon Jones, regardless of an involvement or not from the promotion. Ngannou, a former undisputed heavyweight champion under the banner of the UFC, has been sidelined from active competition since […]

Ngannou, a former undisputed heavyweight champion under the banner of the UFC, has been sidelined from active competition since he headlined UFC 270 back in January of last year, landing a unanimous decision win over then-interim titleholder, Ciryl Gane.

As for Jones, the Endicott native is slated to make his Octagon return against soon-to-be common-foe, Stipe Miocic at UFC 295 in November at Madison Square Garden, in the pair’s championship fight.

Set to make his return to active competition next month in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Ngannou, who has since penned a multi-fight deal with the PFL (Professional Fighters League) – will take on incumbent WBC heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury in a 10 round professional boxing match as part of his debut.

Francis Ngannou hopeful of eventual fight with Jon Jones in the future

However, as far as a miscued fight with former two-time light heavyweight champion, Jones is concerned, despite the fact the pair both fight currently for different organization, Ngannou insists he’s still hopeful of landing a blockbuster fight with the former.

“I don’t know, maybe it’ll be a special fight – a special belt or something, maybe not like a UFC belt,” Francis Ngannou said on The Joe Rogan Experience. “To be honest, I don’t worry about the title. The title is not what I worry about. I worry about that fight, that challenge.”

“I wouldn’t care if it was a fight without a title,” Francis Ngannou explained. “In my mind, I don’t need a UFC title. That fight is bigger than a title. The fight is bigger than a title. Deep inside me, I still have a little bit of hope, even through I know it’s going to be hard. But, you never know.”

Would you like to see Francis Ngannou fight Jon Jones in the future?

Ciryl Gane believes Ex-UFC champion Francis Ngannou will defeat Tyson Fury: ‘Everything is possible’

The French heavyweight phenom Ciryl Gane is optimistic that his former training partner and opponent Francis Ngannou has what it takes to defeat Tyson Fury on the 28th of October. The fight between Ngannou and Fury is rapidly approaching, and with that: we see Ngannou have a chance of being the first man to hold […]

The French heavyweight phenom Ciryl Gane is optimistic that his former training partner and opponent Francis Ngannou has what it takes to defeat Tyson Fury on the 28th of October.

The fight between Ngannou and Fury is rapidly approaching, and with that: we see Ngannou have a chance of being the first man to hold a victory over Fury in a professional boxing match. The power that Ngannou holds in his hands is just as powerful if not more so than that of a Deontay Wilder, and Gane is not underestimating that aspect of his former opponents’ game. That’s not to say that the only path to victory for Ngannou is a knockout or count-out, but honestly; nobody is really expecting the technicality of the two fighters’ game to be anywhere near the same level.

Ngannou could very well win on the judges’ scorecards, but such a thing would surely have to occur due to points won via knockdowns, people would assume. The true fact is, nobody really knows what will happen when Fury and Ngannou meet in the ring. The large majority are fully expecting Tyson Fury to waltz his way to the end zone, but Ciryl Gane is comfortable going against the grain.

Ciryl Gane calls for Francis Ngannou to defeat Tyson Fury

“On paper, I’m going to say Tyson Fury,” Ciryl Gane began, speaking to Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour (H/T MMA Fighting). “…But everybody knows the power of Francis, and everything is possible during the fight, so you never know.”

“…For this fight, I’m going to be behind Francis… to create the surprise,” Gane continued. “It’d be really crazy, and everything is possible. You see in (Floyd) Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor, (McGregor) did very well. He did very well.”

That fight between Mayweather and McGregor broke major ground between MMA and Boxing and paved the way for super fights just like Ngannou and Fury. However, this fight between ‘The Predator’ and ‘The Gypsy King’ might have been postponed for too long now. The talks about a potential fight between the two began occurring years before it was really solidified. Outside factors played a part in this, such as Ngannou being bound by the UFC and their stipulations regarding a super fight; but still. The fight between Ngannou and Fury is not as big compared to what many believe it could have been.

However, if the former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou could manage to come away with a victory over Fury, it would probably go down as one of the most insane moments of all time in the combat sports realm. The fight would go from being just another sideshow to the most legendary moment to occur in recent memory. It would pave the way for a rematch that would likely do outrageous numbers, but Ngannou would have to do the unthinkable and dethrone Tyson Fury first.

“You never know,” Ciryl Gane continued, speaking to Helwani. “I don’t know how much time he trained for this fight — I’m talking about Francis — but he can surprise the people, and it was his dream when he started. When he came to France, it was his dream to be a boxer and not an MMA fighter. So, maybe? We never know.”

“(Ngannou) is still dangerous, he has big power. But yeah, on paper, Tyson Fury (should win), but maybe we’re going to have a big surprise. We will see.”

What do you think about Ciryl Gane’s opinion on this fight?

UFC President Dana White perplexed by PFL’s rumored purchase of Bellator: ‘C’mon guys, this is silly’

Dana White doesn’t see any value in buying out Bellator. Over the last year, rumors have been swirling that Bellator was interviewing potential buyers with the biggest name being the Professional Fighters League. Initially, it was nothing more than pure speculation, but in recent months, reports have been flying that the pair are in final […]

Dana White doesn’t see any value in buying out Bellator.

Over the last year, rumors have been swirling that Bellator was interviewing potential buyers with the biggest name being the Professional Fighters League. Initially, it was nothing more than pure speculation, but in recent months, reports have been flying that the pair are in final preparations to close a stock-laden deal that would see the PFL absorb Scott Coker’s MMA empire.

Adding fuel to the fire was the announcement that the PFL had sold a minority stake in the promotion to Saudi Arabia’s SRJ Sports Investments for $100 million. The deal also includes plans to expand into the Middle East and North Africa in 2024.

Dana White Slams PFL’s Rumored Acquisition of Bellator

Addressing members of the media following last Tuesday’s edition of Dana White’s Contender Series, the UFC President shared his honest thoughts on the proposed purchase of Bellator and whether or not the Las Vegas-based promotion could find itself as a potential suitor.

“Why on God’s green f*cking earth would anybody buy Bellator? So when we were just talking about business and making the right moves and making right decisions… There’s been lots of bad ones. Bellator would be one of the f*cking bad biggest,” White said. “Why anybody would buy Bellator is beside me. But hey, what do I know? We’ll sit back and see how this plays out. I’m excited.”

Learning that the potential asking price for Bellator is a whopping $500 million, White responded with a fair amount of sarcasm. “Bellator is $500 million dollars? Awesome. Sounds like a steal,” White quipped with a smile. “Sounds like a f*cking steal. Buy that thing quick before who else does? C’mon guys, this is f*cking silly.”

"Why on God's green f*cking earth would anybody buy Bellator?"

Dana White is perplexed at the potential PFL purchase of Bellator.

Full video: https://t.co/md7arW0aXn pic.twitter.com/StgnLppwwV

— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) September 6, 2023

Of course, the UFC is no stranger to buying other mixed martial arts organizations. The promotion famously purchased PRIDE FC and the WEC in the early 2000s, but its biggest acquisition came in 2011 when the UFC acquired Strikeforce for $40 million, leading the way for a plethora of names to enter the Octagon, including Jason ‘Mayhem’ Miller, Cung Le, Luke Rockhold, Alistair Overeem, Nick Diaz, and Dan Henderson.

The UFC allowed Strikeforce to run independently for two years until ultimately absorbing the company and signing some of the promotion’s biggest stars such as Ronda Rousey, Josh Barnett, and Daniel Cormier.

Report – PFL sells minority stake to Saudi Arabia for $100 million, plots Middle East expansion

After pumping money into both golf and football, Saudi Arabia is getting into the mixed martial arts business with the PFL. SRJ Sports Investments, a vehicle spawned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, has purchased a “minority ownership stake” in the Professional Fighters League per a report from Bloody Elbow. The PFL deal is worth […]

After pumping money into both golf and football, Saudi Arabia is getting into the mixed martial arts business with the PFL.

SRJ Sports Investments, a vehicle spawned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, has purchased a “minority ownership stake” in the Professional Fighters League per a report from Bloody Elbow. The PFL deal is worth an estimated $100 million, but Saudi Arabia’s PIF is also said to be investing in an expansion into the Middle East and North Africa. PFL MENA is slated to debut in the second quarter of 2024 and will lead the way for future expansions, establishing a “Champions League of MMA” by 2026.

The investment couldn’t come at a better time for the PFL as the promotion continues to expand, signing new and undeniably expensive talent i.e. Francis Ngannou, whilst kickstarting its first global expansion in Europe.

“There is no better global investor with industrial-strength capital [than PIF] to help us achieve our global vision,” Donn Davis, PFL co-founder and chairman, said in a phone interview with Sportico’s Kurt Badenhausen. “With this capital, we now have what we need to realize our vision to start the next chapter, become not just No. 2, but the potential co-leader in MMA.”

The PFL is Saudi Arabia’s Latest Investment in the World of Sports

This is just the latest in a series of moves that have put the Saudi government at the forefront of global sports. PIF currently holds an 80% stake in Premier League team Newcastle United and was the driving force behind LIV Golf, a PGA competitor that seemingly split the sport in two until opting to join forces in a merger that is still being worked out.

The Saudi wealth fund has also invested in the WWE, F-1, professional boxing, and is rumored to be chasing an investment of some sort with the National Football League.

“SRJ is shaping a new age of sports in Saudi Arabia and accelerating the growth of the domestic sports economy,” said SRJ chairman Bander Bin Mogren, who has served as PIF’s COO since 2016. “This investment aims to nurture the local and regional talent pool in martial arts. Right now, PFL has the broadest distribution of any MMA league. Most UFC fights are either on pay-per-view or ESPN Plus, so PFL has the broadest distribution; fans can see us all around the world the most easily. And more and more great fighters are willing to come over to the PFL to show their talents.

“So I think what you’ve seen is the product get better and better and better and you’ve seen the fans watch it more and more and more. And I think the expanded distribution is just a way to tell the fighters ‘Come on over to the PFL and show what you can do,’ and to tell the fans ‘Check out this product, it’s super exciting, and probably better than what you’re watching now.”

…”PFL is a global sports league. Those 300 million MMA fans, 80 percent of those are outside the United States. So unlike a lot of the sports leagues that focus on the United States, MMA is truly global. The only three sports that are viewed in 150 countries are soccer, basketball, and MMA. So the PFL is truly building a global league, and the international audience is as important as the U.S. audience” (h/t Awful Announcing).