No matter how things go in his highly anticipated clash with former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, Tyson Fury will keep his WBC title firmly wrapped around his waist.
‘The Gypsy King’ and his team have worked tirelessly in recent months to book a high-profile heavyweight boxing match with Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua to no avail. With no opponent seemingly in sight, Fury has turned his attention to mixed martial arts superstar Francis Ngannou. Now, the two combat sports icons will clash in a squared circle superfight in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on October 28.
With Fury currently reigning as the WBC heavyweight world champion, many wondered if the belt would be on the line, or if ‘The Gypsy King’ could be stripped of his title for fighting an unranked fighter in a third-party promotion. As it turns out, neither will be the case according to WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman who issued a statement shortly after the fight was announced.
“Yesterday it was made known that the (WBC) champion Tyson Fury will be doing a fight in Saudi Arabia against the former UFC champion (Francis Ngannou),” WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman said in an official announcement. “It’s a 10-round fight. He asked the World Boxing Council for a special permission.
“As you guys know, Fury did everything possible to fight Usyk in December. He’s done everything possible to fight with Joshua, Andy Ruiz. In the end, he wasn’t able to get a top-tier fight and because he’s had no official challenger, we’ve given him permission to do this fight on Oct. 28 in Saudi Arabia.”
WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman explains why the WBC have given special permission to allow Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou and won't be stripping Fury…
[🎥 @WBCBoxing] pic.twitter.com/UYjUXd2TAM
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) July 12, 2023
The Details Behind Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou Remain Unclear
Early reports indicate the fight will be 10 rounds and contested under the traditional 10-point must system with three judges ruling from ringside. Whether or not it is a professional bout or some kind of hybrid-rules exhibition remains unclear, but both fighters are said to be gunning for a knockout when they eventually strap on the 10-ounce gloves this fall.
The bout will be Fury’s first appearance in 2023 after scoring a 10th-round TKO against Derek Chisora in London last December.
Francis Ngannou will be making his squared circle debut after establishing himself as one of the best heavyweight mixed martial artists in the world. ‘The Predator’ has amassed an impressive 17-3 record, with his biggest victory coming against general consensus heavyweight GOAT Stipe Miocic at UFC 260. Ngannou followed that up with a unanimous decision victory over Ciryl Gane, his first and only defense of the title.
Ngannou departed the UFC for greener pastures in January. Four months later, Ngannou announced that he had signed a groundbreaking deal with the Professional Fighters League. He is expected to make his Smart Cage debut in 2024 after cashing in on his pro boxing debut with Tyson Fury.
