Tyson Fury takes a detour from his heavyweight world-title duties when he faces MMA star Francis Ngannou on Saturday in Saudi Arabia.
The Briton welcomes former UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou to the world of boxing, in a non-title heavyweight bout overseen by the British Boxing Board of Control.
Ngannou, 37, is a massive underdog against the unbeaten WBC champion, but Fury’s belt is not on the line in this encounter.
Fury says the world should “laugh” at him if he loses.
UFC heavyweight Tom Aspinall:”I think Ngannou’s got a chance. It’s heavyweights, they punch really, really hard, especially someone like Ngannou. But as far as chances, I think it’s a slim one. I think 99 times out of a 100, Fury is going to school him.”
Two-weight boxing world champion Natasha Jonas:”If I was Tyson’s manager and was advising him, I’d say get a bit of ring rust off, get a couple of rounds. Every now and again, put it on him and show him this is boxing. That you’re the daddy. You’re the king of the ring. Then get him out of there.”
Former boxing world champion Joe Calzaghe:”I think Tyson Fury in a few rounds. Maybe for a couple of rounds he’ll be jabbing and moving but I think rounds three or four.”
UFC fighter Lerone Murphy:”Tyson Fury’s going to outskill him by far. I think it’s a totally different game and in the big gloves, I don’t know if Ngannou is going to carry that same sort of power.”
