Matchroom Promoter, Eddie Hearn, has responded to recent whispers that Tyson Fury’s next bout will be against former UFC superstar, Francis Ngannou, rather than an established heavyweight challenger.
Fury has been linked to fights with a whole host of names since the turn of the year, including current and previous heavyweight champions, Oleksandr Usyk and Andy Ruiz Jr.
However, reports now strongly suggest that he will instead fight Ngannou, who would be making his professional debut if the bout is an official one rather than an exhibition.
Some key figures in the sport have suggested that Fury should be stripped of his WBC title as a result, but in an interview with Boxing Social, Hearn understood Fury’s decision and wished him good luck in the proposed crossover fight, which he believes will be an exhibition.
“I don’t blame Tyson Fury for fighting Francis Ngannou, it’s what you want. He doesn’t seem as bothered about legacy or undisputed [titles], he is going to fight a guy that could fight him a million times and never beat him and he’s going to make forty million. Good luck to him.”
Hearn was once considering Ngannou for his man, Anthony Joshua, but talks fizzled out and ‘AJ’ moved in a different direction.
The WBC’s reluctance to issue Fury with a mandatory challenger means the Brit can seemingly fight who he pleases.
With no risk of losing his title and a rumoured ‘no-knockdown rule’, the contest could ultimately prove to be a pay-per-view spar rather than a banana-skin bout against the powerful African.
Nevertheless, the event is sure to be a financial success within the combat sports community, with MMA fans willing on their man, who is often discussed as one of the hardest punchers in the history of the UFC franchise.
Boxing fanatics – even despite many still being disappointed that an undisputed bout with Usyk seems farther away than ever – will likely tune in to watch Fury in action for the first time this year.