Way too early Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou preview and prediction
Francis Ngannou finally did it.
His long-desired dream of stepping inside a boxing ring is finally coming to fruition. He will be fighting Tyson Fury (33-0-1) in a 10-round fight in Saudi Arabia on Oct. 28. The fight will be judged by the 10-point must system and will have three judges dictating the winner for every round.
Since his departure from the UFC, the former heavyweight champion has signed with the Professional Fighters League (PFL) in a historic deal, and now is scheduled to fight the undefeated WBC heavyweight champion for a one-of-kind clash for the ages. In a unique sequence of events, Fury and Ngannou did face off last year and this will be the first time Fury exchanges strikes with a mixed martial artist, and vice-versa for Ngannou.
"I've been waiting to meet Tyson in the ring for the past three years," Ngannou said in the official press release. "My dream was to always box, and to box the best. After becoming the undisputed MMA Heavyweight Champion, this is my opportunity to make that dream come true and cement my position as the baddest man on the planet."
After negotiations with Alexander Usyk have stalled, Fury is returning after a 10-month hiatus after previously defeating Dillian Whyte for the third time via 10th-round TKO in December. In his 34-bout career, he has remained untouched and undeniable except when he faced the most powerful puncher in boxing, Deontay Wilder, and faced devastating adversity by getting knocked down on his back and almost not beating the referee's count. The fight controversially ended in a draw, but Fury ended up getting the best out of Wilder by convincingly defeating him two more times.
"As soon as that bell goes, it'll be bombs away," Fury said via an official press release. "This guy is supposed to be the hardest puncher in the world, but let's see how he reacts when he gets hit by Big GK. I can't wait to get back out there under the lights. I'm looking forward to showing the world that The Gypsy King is the greatest fighter of his generation in an epic battle with another master of his craft."
Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou prediction
One of the greatest boxers of all time will always defeat any newcomer who enters the ring, and an MMA champion will prove to be superior to any stranger who wants to challenge him inside the cage, and that's exactly how this will go in a boxing ring. Fury and Ngannou are amazing fighters with each their gifted talents, but Fury as the traditional boxing champion will have the advantage and make it look easy against a formidable foe with zero experience in the boxing world.
In any fight, there is a puncher's chance and that is Ngannou's only hope in hurting and defeating Fury, but if he gets it done it would be an upset and feat for the ages. Ngannou has devastating power in his hands and if one punch lands anyone who comes across it is going down, but Fury has been down this road before and won't shy away from getting hit and pressuring the power puncher.
Fury's head movement, footwork, counter-punching, and experience will ultimately be too much for Ngannou, and in the later rounds, Fury will overwhelm him and look to finish. I don't believe either fighter will stand in the middle and stand and bang until someone falls and gets knocked out. Ngannou's game plan should be to attack early and often and attempt to be unpredictable to catch Fury in the earlier rounds to look and finish.
Fury is physically the bigger man in the matchup and he should use his height and weight as he did against Wilder in their trilogy fight to make him carry his weight when they are tied up against the ropes, and fatigue him. In the later rounds, Fury will have more cardio and capitalize by finishing Ngannou via TKO in the seventh round or eighth round.
Prediction: Tyson Fury via seventh round TKO
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