Tyson Fury (33-0-1, 24 KOs) vs. Francis Ngannou (Pro Debut)
When: Saturday, October 28, 2023
Where: Diriyah Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
TV: PPV
Weight Class: Heavyweight Non-Title Fight: 10 Rounds
Betting Odds: Tyson Fury (-850), Francis Ngannou (+550)—Odds by Bovada where you can bet the fight live while it’s going on! They’ll give you a 50% bonus too!
Fight Analysis:
World Heavyweight Champion Tyson Fury battles former UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou on October 28 in Saudi Arabia. Fury’s title will not be at stake, and this is scheduled for ten rounds. It will be Ngannou’s first official boxing match, taking on a seasoned and long-reigning champion in Fury. It’s a fascinating matchup for many reasons. Let’s break it down!
This is truly a bout for intergalactic supremacy. Ngannou isn’t some BJJ master where you can’t envision the transition. He made it to the top by blasting people’s heads off their bodies, a skill that you would think has some crossover appeal to boxing. There are certainly elements of the Sweet Science that will be lost on him, especially in relation to the expert-boxing of Fury. But if there is one skill you want to have, it’s the one that is the lynchpin of Ngannou’s entire success.
The thing of it is, Fury has already been tested, enduring three fights with the lethal-hitting Deontay Wilder. We see Fury isn’t an easy guy to put away, repeatedly rising from shots that looked like fight-winning blows. This is a man who knows how to rebound from adversity. His stamina belies his jiggly appearance, and his recuperative powers are the best seen in the heavyweight division since the glory days of Larry Holmes. So, simply reaching Fury might not be enough.
Fury knows how to fight. He might not be that fast. He doesn’t hit crazy hard. He is just a complete natural in the art of boxing. He knows the rhythm of a fight, how to act in a 12-rounder, and what to do in a protracted battle. He is very heady and strategic. I think these assets are the biggest threats to Ngannou. Certainly, Fury knows that the early rounds are the most dangerous for him, but the further he gets from the opening bell, the better it is for him. We’re talking about a guy in Ngannou who not only is stepping into a completely different context, but is facing a ten-round fight when his rep was built on annihilating people in a matter of seconds. In boxing terms, we talk of fighters dragging opponents into the deep water, usually meaning the latter rounds. With Ngannou, Fury might be taking him to that place much sooner.
