MMA legend Randy Couture is all for Francis Ngannou’s success outside the UFC.
Ngannou split from the UFC earlier this year after the two sides couldn’t come to terms on a new deal. The eager beavers were immediately questioning if Ngannou made a mistake and “fumbled the bag.” Ngannou soon announced his historic deal with the PFL, and recently followed that up with the announcement that he’ll be boxing Tyson Fury in Saudi Arabia on October 28.
Are you ready @francis_ngannou!? #BADDESTMANONTHEPLANET #RIYADHSEASON pic.twitter.com/D0B3IxFkR7
— TYSON FURY (@Tyson_Fury) July 11, 2023
Randy Couture On Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou
During an exclusive MiddleEasy interview, Randy Couture told James Lynch that Francis Ngannou stood up for the sport of MMA.
“I think he’s done the right thing,” Couture said. “He stood up for himself, he stood up for our sport. There have been several other athletes that were in position to do that and passed and didn’t do it. I’m proud of him for doing that, sticking to his guns. It wasn’t about the money, it was about all the other stuff that he’s mentioned and I’ve certainly mentioned and stood up for myself.”
As far as the difficulty of fighting Tyson Fury is concerned, Couture knows Ngannou will have quite the task in front of him.
“Yeah, I think it’s a big step up, honestly,” Couture said. “This guy’s been boxing at that level and he is arguably the best boxer in the world right now, and has been at the top of that game for quite a while. What he did with [Deontay] Wilder and all those matches, his technique, he’s long, he’s rangy, he moves his head and his feet well, he’s gonna be hard to hit. Francis has got a lot of work to do to get ready and get sharp for that.”
Couture admitted that skill-wise, Ngannou may be biting off more than he can chew. With that said, the UFC Hall of Famer believes “The Predator” has a chance thanks to his punching power.
