MMA journalist Ariel Helwani was shocked when it was announced that Tyson Fury would box Oleksandr Usyk in December or January.
Fury is set to face former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou on Oct. 28 in Saudi Arabia. It’s a fight that caught many by surprise, and before the fight even happened, Fury has already signed on for his next fight. It was also a baffling and disrespectful decision, according to Helwani.
“When I saw this news come out on a Friday afternoon, I was baffled. I was blown away. I couldn’t believe it. Initially, what I felt was, ‘If I’m Francis Ngannou, am I extremely disrespected right now?’ Is that the way I’m feeling? Is this a slight against me? That’s how I was feeling on his behalf,” Helwani said on The MMA Hour.
“So what I did was I reached out to Francis and his team, and I was like, ‘Am I off base here or is this the right sentiment?’ They confirmed to me that I was feeling the right way. I can’t believe that everyone involved did this. Now, it’s up to them to channel that and use it as motivation to shock the world and all that stuff. But, I can’t believe everyone involved did this,” Helwani continued.
Helwani believes Fury-Ngannou means less now
Not only does Ariel Helwani think the decision to announce the fight is disrespectful, he also thinks it takes away from the fight. He knows believes fans will think it’s a tune-up and an exhibition, given that Fury already has a much bigger fight ahead of him.
With that, Helwani wondered why the fight was even announced right now, and rather not announced after the fight.
“Now all you’ve done is tell people, ‘No, this is the tune-up. This is the tune-up that you thought it was, the exhibition you thought it was.’ I don’t feel that way, I know for a fact Francis and his team plan on going in there and shocking the world,” Helwani said. “I know what you are all saying, number one, you are saying he has no chance, so who cares? Again, disrespectful. Number two, you are saying there is no belt on the line, so who cares?
“You are telling me if Francis Ngannou knocks out Tyson Fury on Oct. 28, he’s still fighting Usyk? That fight still has luster? No, it doesn’t. They don’t have a date, they have the venue. Why not wait until October 28? Why not do what we’ve seen so many times, which is usually done? Fight ends, there’s a winner, Tyson Fury, throw to the video package, and next it’s the one you’ve truly been waiting for. Why did it have to happen on September 30 or whatever that date was?,” Helwani concluded.
Regardless, Francis Ngannou and Tyson Fury will still box on Oct. 28.
