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After teasing retirement during the build-up to his latest bout, Tyson Fury hinted at the possibility of a massive change of plans after defeating fellow British-born fighter Dillian Whyte on Saturday night.
The WBC heavyweight champion revealed during his post-fight interview with ESPN plans for a massive crossover fight against MMA star Francis Ngannou, the current UFC heavyweight champion. Fury’s shocking announcement came shortly after the 33-year-old scored an impressive sixth-round TKO victory in front of 94,000-plus spectators at Wembley Stadium.
“Going to be an explosive fight when it happens,” he said, per ESPN’s Brett Okamoto.
Ngannou, who joined Fury in the ring during his interview, quickly followed the remarks by detailing the rules of their potential dream fight. “It’s going to be a hybrid fight with different type of rules, MMA gloves, in the ring,” he told ESPN’s Bernardo Osuna as the Gypsy King yelled, “Sign the contract!” in the background.
Ngannou, 35, later said the bout is being discussed for 2023, and even listed Africa as his dream location for what he jokingly referred to as “The Rumble in the Jungle 2.” The Cameroon native remains out of action after undergoing surgery to repair a torn MCL and damaged ACL in March.
“Definitely sometime next year,” he told BT Sport. “That fight will happen because, by the end of this year, we’re going to sort this out and get settled. Ready to go!”
Should the pair eventually agree to a deal, their clash would immediately qualify for one of the most intriguing in the history of their respective sports. Standing at 6’9”, 278 pounds, Fury boasts an undefeated 32-0-1 record (23 KOs), with two of his last three wins coming against Deontay Wilder to close their classic trilogy. Meanwhile, the 6’4”, 262-pound Ngannou has won five of his last six by either KO or TKO, and is 17–3 (12 KOs) in his career.
While both fighters sound all-in on making the fight happen, there will be some hurdles to clear with Ngannou locked in a contract dispute with UFC and Fury still sorting through his future plans. But, until then, Saturday’s exchange will surely generate a ton of interest as fans wait to see what happens next.
