What Would Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou Actually Look Like?
— Updated on 17 May 2023

What Would Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou Actually Look Like?

— Updated on 17 May 2023
Garry Lu
WORDS BY
Garry Lu

UPDATE [16/02/22]: Tyson Fury has sensationally announced he’ll fight reigning UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou in Las Vegas sometime between February and March 2023.

The bout – which the Gypsy King himself claims will “break all PPV records in the United States” – has been in negotiations for months now, and will continue being negotiated until we see UFC President Dana White and the legendary boxing promoter Eddie Hearn finally sitting ringside on the day of. That being said, it promises to be a barnburner (however lopsided it may look).

“There’s been no talks this year because I have got some boxing to do,” Tyson Fury tells iFL TV (via The Manchester Evening News).

“But next year we can have some crazy fights. It’s a massive fight… two heavyweight champions going head to head.”

We”ll update you about this one as soon as we hear something.

RELATED: Jon Jones Returns To UFC With 8-Fight Deal, Francis Ngannou Stripped Of Title


This past weekend at UFC 270, Francis Ngannou defended his heavyweight championship title against former teammate Ciryl Gane in stunning fashion. Despite his devastating knockout potential, rather than go toe-to-toe with a technically superior striker, The Predator unveiled a level of grappling he’d never demonstrated before. Over the course of five hard-fought rounds, in a career-first, the Cameroonian pugilist secured a decision win while handing Gane his first professional MMA loss. Naturally, the victory on just about everyone’s lips reignited discussions of a potential Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou superfight.

Attracting the attention of Tyson Fury himself, the two-time WBC heavyweight champion boxer (re)extended the following offer almost immediately after Ngannou’s hand was raised by Herb Dean.

“Congratulations Francis Ngannou. But if you want to make some real money, come see the [Gypsy King].”

Tyson Fury

It’s a prospect that has combat sports fans from every walk of life salivating. But what would it actually resemble?

RELATED: Who Will Tyson Fury Fight Next Now That The Usyk Bout Is In The Toilet?

We’re not talking about the ruleset, venue, date, or even the financial figure behind a hypothetical Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou fight. Although given how Ngannou’s base UFC 270 purse only amounted to a paltry US$600,000 against Fury’s last payday of US$30 million, it’s clear one of them will definitely be cashing in way more than they’re used to; hence why talks of such a crossover are ramping up as Ngannou concludes his contract with the UFC. What we’re talking about here is the bare-bone outcome. In a fight between Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou, who would triumph?

The answer is clear as day – and has been ever since Conor McGregor’s historic foray into professional boxing against the undefeated Floyd Mayweather circa 2013. In the years since, the overarching thesis, as it were, has only been confirmed, reconfirmed, and reconfirmed again by the likes of vlogger-cum-athlete Jake Paul. The only notable outlier in this entire realm of crossover bouts is UFC legend Anderson Silva, who managed to defeat Julio Cesar Chavez Jr via split decision last year, before sleeping fellow UFC legend Tito Ortiz in the first round (and at the age of 46, no less).

If it’s MMA, the MMA fighter wins. Say what you will about Tyson Fury’s striking ability. There are simply too many dimensions involved inside the Octagon. Dimensions where Francis Ngannou has a clear advantage. Kicks. Knees. Elbows. A completely different brand of clinching. Grappling. Ground & Pound – which is the last thing you want to experience from a man renowned for having the world’s hardest punch.

RELATED: Former UFC Champ Francis Ngannou Inks Contract With PFL

Furthermore, UFC 270 was a perfect showcase of what Ngannou is capable of accomplishing against a superior striker. You might be the most clinical operator standing up, but if you’re unaccustomed to having your back taken, working from bottom position, or defending the double leg in a competition setting – like Ciryl Gane and (we’re assuming) Tyson Fury – you’re in a world of trouble. Even Gane struggled to complete a heel hook against Ngannou… who’s recovering from an MCL and ACL injury.

If it’s boxing, the boxer wins. Having the world’s hardest punch doesn’t mean shit if you can’t land it in a meaningful way. It means far less if you’ve only recently established an understanding of boxing fundamentals (see above). Plus, we’re talking about Tyson Fury here. The man is a transcendental talent. Elite. Practically a god in the ring, packing a gas tank for days and moving with the fluidity of a goddamn middleweight. How else can a bloke built like a middle-aged forklift operator dominate the scene? Francis Ngannou certainly wouldn’t be his first opponent with devastating knockout potential, either. After all, we’ve seen how Fury deals with Deontay Wilder and Wladimir Klitschko.

Long story short, in the event Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou actually happens – because we’re not ruling anything out post-Floyd Mayweather vs Logan Paul – save your hard-earned paycheque and ignore whatever donkey-brained multis Sportsbet offers. No matter how tempting the payout.

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Garry Lu
WORDS by
After stretching his legs with companies such as The Motley Fool and the odd marketing agency, Garry joined Boss Hunting in 2019 as a fully-fledged Content Specialist. In 2021, he was promoted to News Editor. Garry proudly retains a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, black bruises from Muay Thai, as well as a black belt in all things pop culture. Drop him a line at [email protected]

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