Fury-Ngannou Kickoff Press Conference

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Photo: Mikey Williams/Top Rank via Getty Images

WBC heavyweight champion Tyson “The Gypsy King” Fury and MMA champion Francis Ngannou met face-to-face today at the kickoff press conference for their ten round PPV clash on Saturday, October 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The fight will take place under the official rules of professional boxing, with the three ringside judges using the 10-point must system.

Tyson Fury: “I’m absolutely honored to be fighting Francis. He’s going to be a very, very good fighting man. You can see that he’s massive. He’s in shape. He’s going to be a real challenge. It’s something different for me. I’m used to boxing boxers and boxing the head off of somebody. But fighting an MMA guy who comes in with a different style is going to be different.”

Francis Ngannou: “I have been dreaming of becoming a boxer since I was a kid. And today, I’m not just going to box; I’m going to box the guy at the peak of the mountain…nobody knows exactly what’s going to happen, but what I do know for sure is that I’m going to be out there hunting for that guy’s head to take it off. I can guarantee that.”

Bob Arum: “This is a massive event around the world, but it’s particularly massive in the United States because MMA has become one of the most popular sports there and Francis Ngannou is a legend in that sport. And Tyson has performed so admirably in the United States over the past few years that he is a massive figure in sports. The fact that they’re both coming together is something that is creating tremendous interest in the United States.”

Frank Warren: “This is the biggest event I’ve ever been involved with. It’s a crossover event. You’ve got a guy who is the best in his discipline. He is the heavyweight champion. And you’ve got the man, the lineal champion, Tyson Fury, who has done everything you can ask for in a fighter. He’s an undefeated champion, a brilliant boxer and fighter. He can box or he can stand and trade with you. This is going to be something special.”

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  • Nope, this won’t be competitive and they’ll say whatever they have to. I would probably tune in if it was covered under one of my subscription services but there’s no way I’ll pay to see it.

    • It’s disgusting. The way boxing fans are getting shut on and disrespected like this is unreal.

      Any real boxing fan should be ashamed of themselves if they pay for this shit.

      • Don’t blow a gasket. Boxing’s history is filled with dumb and weird matches often involving heavyweight champs or contenders. Some involved animals other than humans. The sport survived. But can it survive the whiny puritans?

    • No it’s doesn’t. Are you dumb? How is it interesting that the best heavytin the world is fighting someone that’s never had a pro boxing match before?

      It was how gullible people like you are. And it’s people like you that fights like this get made and will continue to get made and boxing fans will continue to be disrespected and we will never see great boxers fighting other great boxers.

  • This fight and Fury are a joke. Usyk? No! AJ? No!

    And MMA fighter that’s never boxed before? Yes!!!!

    Great decision making Tyson. Enjoy your easy payday and go back to doing coke fuck off out of the public spot light.

    These people have no respect for fight fans and it’s disgusting. And Ngannou and all these other MMA fighters that take on fighters they known they have nomchancd of beating just for the payday, I have no respect for you either.

    You clearly don’t respect us as fight fans so we don’t respect you. And no bother comment pretending like this is brave or that the average Joe wouldn’t gladly get KO’d by a pro fighter for millions of dollars. Nothing about this is brave it’s a cash out and a joke.

    • Usyk has offered to fight Fury, winner take all and Fury still refuses to fight him. Is he scared or what ?

  • un-f&%king believable! this not a good look for boxing. Just imagin if Noganu actually lands a haymaker and knoks fury TFO, us hardcore boxing fans will never hear the end of this crap. Now casuals don’t count, and they are actually part of the issue just look at the comments. However Fury needs to take him and make him look silly!

    • noganu will have a heartbeat in this one, but I he does not get fury,s repect in rounds 1’2 and 3. He is done.

  • Floyd Mayweather introduced the weakest fanbase boxing has ever seen and this and the Jake Paul KSI garbage is a result. Boxing has been hijacked by casuals.

  • Shame on you “champion”
    You are boxing against a man who has never stepped into the ring.

  • I’m not interested and will not watch but to my fellow die hard boxing fans keep in mind even Ali had his exhibition. Ok, I’ve already given this farce of a fight more time than it deserves.

  • It is very difficult to distinguish where Fury has his waist and where his a… because that bump on top of his belt is the one that seems to be an extension of his buttocks or maybe an extra layer on his waist.

    • Lol… you can really tell by his training how seriously he is taking this…. The Cupcakes and beer diet. The sad part is he still wins easy while taking it for granted.

  • Fury’s tactic is no brainer. Once a fighter gets close to him, he grabs, holds, and lays on them hoping to wear them down by his weight and size. Give me a break.

    • Yeah, sorry, but no. He pounds on guys and moves well. You can argue with his fight selection, but he blasts on guys. The talent is there, but the work ethic is dubious,

    • Oh?! Much like Lennox Lewis did late in his career, and Wladimir Klitschko did as well!? Both those guys did not know how to fight on the inside whatsoever. Heavyweight boxers nowadays do not do their homework, and learn how to fight on the inside. Instead, these lazy heavyweight trainers just teach them how to hug and hold on for dear life if they ever face somebody with a big inside punch. That is part why the sport of boxing has been crippled. John Ruiz was the first one to usher it into the heavyweight division and make it part of his overall strategy. Hugging and holding does nothing but dumb down the sport, and make it boring for the boxing fan.

  • omyyy, has fury been training?
    maybe at the dunkin doughnuts, burger king, kfc, etc…? or not much?

    • He can show up at 600lbs and still beat Francis in a boxing match. Fury has more skills than some 135-140 lb fighters

  • It’s going to be a barnburner!
    Fury will let it be a even fight, couple of rounds….then will take Franic’s head off!
    Mark my words.

    • He has the ability to do it. I’d take you up on that bet if this were real life lol.

  • Fury is the unworthy Champ of all times. Strip his Title and send him to the Octacon.. USYK is the one and only Champion and Sportsman. Fury is a disgusting shame for Boxing and every Person who buy such a shit is a idiot and had fault that Boxing is the way it is. Fck of Fury, fck Boxing.. iam out after 31 years

    • lol I’ve heard that many times. Saying that you’re done with boxing is a sure way to know you’re not done. You’re just blowing off steam.

  • I think the average fan would be a lot more interested if the boxers would give something in the rules such as allowing elbows or more likely, allowing any strike with the hand including backfists and other hand strikes not allowed in boxing. This would at least make these fights more interesting because fans would wonder if the weird strikes would mess with the boxers because it would step outside of what boxers’ years of training had prepared them for. Ngannou has almost no chance but he is not a youtuber or actor. He is at least a fighter and a hard-hitting one so if Tyson is in there screwing around and not being serious he could get hit but that would be very surprising.

  • not interested in this tyson fury should fight a heavy contender not an mma fighter i guess some people will pay to watch this maybe the heavyweight division may be on the weak side who knows?

  • If Francis gets a lucky punch and wins, this will bring boxing down further, it may not help.

  • Vegas has odds on this fight. In my opinion it is easy money to bet on Fury but one thing is keeping me from doing it. This is an exhibition fight, which means that loose cannon unpredictable Fury can do anything he wants and get away with it because it is not a sanctioned bout which keeps the money in my pocket Instead of betting.

  • Personally, I would have rather seen Deontay Wilder vs Francis. That fight makes more sense and its marketable. Power (boxing) vs Power (UFC/MMA). Wilder’s chin is vulnerable enough to get KO’d by Francis and vise versa. Tyson Fury is going to make this look easy. Kudo to Francis for giving Dana White an F’U and living out his dream and making tons of money doing it. Folks are complaining about this fight and we’ve been spoiled in 2023. Fury is going to fight Usky, he’s just trolling a bit to make us want it more.

  • So don’t care about this joke of a fight. What a waste of time and energy for Tyson, not to mention that it just adds to making him look like he’s ducking serious competition.

  • Fake News, this more hype than substance as it’s shameful act and a circus act to scam $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ out of boxing fans. Hopefully The Gypsy Drama Queen will stop fighting has beens, never was, and clown show opponents and step up to the plate and fight Usyk.

  • Well, I’m watching this. There have been worse match-ups littering the annals of boxing history. I’m not so much of a purist that I won’t watch something like this. It’s not like Fury is fighting a Tennis player here or a he’s fighting a fighter from a different discipline who can throw a punch…..at least a few punches.

    Styles make fights, and although Francis isn’t a boxer, why bemoan the opportunity that this may in some way be exciting. If Fury puts on a clinic and dismantles Francis is that not good for boxing? The display of the sweet science overcoming brute force would for sure good for boxing. I understand there is a fear that Francis doesn’t belong in the ring fighting a boxing champion, because what if he does land a one hitter quitter and sleeps Fury? Is that bad for boxing?

    I do see both sides here, and I get it. I also understand Fury is 35 years old and is set to make a reported $50 million for this fight. I don’t care who you are, anyone would be stupid to walk away from that money. When you put your life on the line and your future health in a sport like boxing, the only thing that really matters is how well you can take care of yourself and your family in retirement.

    It’s prize fighting and Tyson is fighting for the biggest prize of his life. I’m not sure there are any other HW’s in the top 10 that would have turned down such an opportunity, and if they would I would suggest they get assessed by the Mayo Clinic.

  • nokidding / like floyd and a host of others/ fury’s barnstorming..the first undesputed undefeated hvwt champion/ period

  • Usyk was technically beaten by tomato can Dan – eventually he won by Ko’ing Dan with a jab. Francis might not be far off Dans level I’m sure the betting odds in that fight would not be too wide. AJ is finished – Fury has proven he can beat Wilder. Usyk needed to cash in on the belts before he fought fury. When they fight fury wins easy.

  • To much money in this game. The big promoter says this is the biggest thing he’s been involved in.. that’s sad.
    Just as all soccerpros bitches tell the world they probably just broke their leg, get’s some water and can run and play again within 2 minutes. A non famous player could not do that. A non famous boxer could not make millions for a circus act. It should be the other way around….

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