Tyson Fury is tuning up for his title unification against Usyk with a rather bizarre show fight in Saudi Arabia. The Brit sees the danger of Mike Tyson co-managed former UFC champ Francis Ngannou embarrassing him
Tyson Fury knows what’s at stake for him.
“If I lose, I’ll never be able to show my face in public again,” says the world heavyweight boxing champion ahead of his mega-fight against MMA star Francis Ngannou in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, late Saturday night, which is expected with some excitement and some skepticism.
While the entire boxing world is eagerly awaiting the unification fight between Fury and Ukrainian Alexander Usyk, the Briton prefers to let off steam in a show fight against a full-contact athlete for a lot of money and the unofficial title of “Baddest Man on the Planet” – and must also fear the experience and expertise of Mike Tyson.
That’s because the boxing legend prepared former UFC heavyweight champ Ngannou for the unusual fight, acting as a trainer and “psychological aid” for the 37-year-old Franco-Cameroonian. “I don’t know if Fury is nervous, but he would have every reason to be,” said Tyson, who believes his protégé can pull off a surprise. Tyson, 57, remains the youngest world heavyweight champion, taking the WBC title in 1986 as a 20-year-old.
Fury vs. Usyk: Defeat would be “humiliation “
For the 35-year-old, who goes into the fight as the heavy favorite under conventional boxing rules, a defeat “would be a humiliation. I will be mocked and people will throw it in my face forever,” said the WBC champion, still unbeaten in 34 fights (33 wins, one draw).
Fury has no fear, even if the punch of Ngannou, who was divorced in dispute at the UFC, is feared. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the cage fighter is the person with the hardest punch on earth.
“If he lands a punch on Fury’s jaw, he will knock him out. No one survives that,” Mike Tyson believes.
The unusual clash is not the first of its kind. In 1976, Muhammad Ali faced wrestling legend Antonio Inoki, who died last year. The fight, which played an important role in the development of the MMA phenomenon, was marked by Inoki’s curious tactics of dodging Ali’s punches in a crawl and maltreating him with kicks – heavy fare for spectators at the time.
In 2017, the duel between Floyd Mayweather and MMA icon Connor McGregor went down according to conventional boxing rules – Mayweather won without any problems. (Mayweather vs. McGregor: That’s how much money flowed)
Usyk finds the fight “strange “
And Alexander Usyk? He thinks the whole thing is silly. “Isn’t it strange that instead of a top 10 guy, he chooses someone who has never boxed?” wondered the WBA, WBO, and IBF champion, who will likely step into the ring for the ultimate showdown against Fury on December 23 after tough and lengthy negotiations. The contracts have been signed.
Then, unlike on Saturday, Fury’s world championship belt will also be at stake. The fight against Ngannou has no sporting value for the time being, it’s all about one thing: money. For the event Fury is to cash in mightily, of a purse of the 50- to 100-million-dollar mark is the talk.
“Sometimes I look in the mirror and think I’m an absolute genius,” said Fury, who has yet to waste a thought on the unification fight with Usyk: “I have to take care of this giant sausage first. And when I’ve grilled it nicely, then I’ll move on to the next one. “
