Francis Ngannou has warned Tyson Fury he is "going to sleep" when they meet in the ring.
Former UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou will meet Fury in a crossover fight on October 28 in Saudi Arabia. The fight will be under boxing rules but Fury's WBC heavyweight title won't be on the line. Ngannou has been linked to a fight against Fury for years but it only became a possibility once he parted ways with the UFC at the beginning of this year.
Ngannou signed with rival MMA promotion PFL after the split, but the terms of his new deal allow him to compete in boxing whilst under contract. "My dream was always to box and to box the best. This is my opportunity to make that dream come true and cement my position as the baddest man on the planet. All I will say to Tyson for now is he better dance in that ring because if I touch him, he’s going to sleep," he said.
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Fury played down Ngannou's feat of recording the hardest punch in the world as he said: “As soon as that bell goes, it’ll be bombs away! This guy is supposed to be the hardest puncher in the world, but let’s see how he reacts when he gets hit by the Big GK [Gypsy King].
"I can’t wait to get back out there under the lights. I’m looking forward to showing the world that The Gypsy King is the greatest fighter of his generation in an epic battle with another master of his craft. Francis looked tough when he jumped in the ring after the Whyte fight, but there is no one tougher than me, and you’ll all see that in devastating fashion on Oct. 28.“
Fury vs Ngannou will be scored by three judges under the usual 10-point must system over ten rounds of three minutes. Fury's promoter Frank Warren has stated the fight is not an exhibition bout, but it is unclear whether it will go on either of their professional records.
"It's a different type of event, I don't know, you'll have to ask the governing bodies. We're not saying he's in the ratings and he won't be in the ratings, it is what it is. It's a crossover event between two guys from two different disciplines. There won't be any belts on the line because the guy is not ranked, but we're not selling it as that, it's an event," he told talkSPORT.
