It has been reported that two-time world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury is in talks to take on UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. The two men have a lot of common ground, having both risen through the ranks of mixed martial arts, and their paths have taken parallel turns. Both have a record of 33 wins, and they have both called out each other.
Fury and Ngannou have been teasing one another on social media and in interviews, and they have been making their presence felt in the media. In recent weeks, they have gone back and forth on Twitter, and Ngannou has even said he would love to fight Fury. However, the UFC is hesitant to permit the two fighters to face one another.
As of the moment, Ngannou is not sure if he’ll return to the octagon for another year, and he’s still not fully recovered from his ACL surgery. He’s also not certain if he’ll sign a new deal with the UFC. Earlier this month, Ngannou declined a contract extension, leaving him free to look for other opportunities.
Fury, meanwhile, has said that he’s not interested in a boxing fight, and he’s in discussions with the UFC to have a hybrid fight with Ngannou. Though the fight is reportedly still in the works, the date has yet to be finalized, and Fury’s promoter, Bob Arum, has thrown his weight behind the idea. If the fight happens, it’ll be a monumental bout. And it will likely break pay-per-view records in the United States.
Previously, Fury and Ngannou have been discussing the idea of a blockbuster fight, but no date has been set. They’ve both teased one another on social media, and Fury has said that he hopes to have the fight happen in the first quarter of 2023.
Both men are looking for more flexibility in their futures, and Fury wants to get a better sense of whether or not the UFC is willing to work with him on this. Ngannou has been talking to the UK-based promoter, and he’s been given access to the UFC’s training facilities, and he has been trained by middleweight Darren Till.
The two have been having a bit of back-and-forth on social media, and have been teasing one another on Twitter. Earlier this week, Ngannou said that he’s confident that the two will eventually get together in the octagon, and he expects a fight in 2023. This makes sense, because it will be the biggest crossover fight since Mayweather and McGregor, and will do a lot of business.
If the fight does go down, it will likely be in the UFC or the BKFC, and it’s expected that the fight will happen around the same time that he faces Dillian Whyte. Ideally, the bout will be in Las Vegas, but that’s not certain. Also, Tyson has said that he’d like to have a boxing match with Mike Tyson, and that he has been in contact with him about the possibility.
