Francis Ngannou enters the boxing ring for the first time this month to take on undefeated heavyweight champion of the world, Tyson Fury.
After a stint as UFC champion, Ngannou left that organisation and will now earn mega money in Saudi Arabia with Fury as his co-star.
Nobody in the boxing world is giving the 37-year-old much hope to look good against perhaps the most talented heavyweight of a generation.
That includes rival promoter, Eddie Hearn, who told Boxing Social that the man from Morecambe can end it as he pleases.
“Whatever Tyson wants to do. If it’s fought at any kind of pace, I don’t feel like Francis Ngannou can physically do more than four, five rounds. I don’t mean that disrespectfully. They’re not used to that kind of fighting. I know MMA is still high intensity, but trust me, you’ll see.
Fury may play with him and just hold him up. If Fury wants to, he’ll stop him in the first round, no problem. If not, he’ll school him, get him to gas out and stop him on his feet.”
The MMA star has a highlight reel of knockouts from his own discipline, and some believe his power will be a threat early in the crossover contest. Hearn disagrees. He says that even a free shot on Fury’s chin would do absolutely nothing.
“He can’t win a round. He can’t hurt him. He could actually put his chin out and let Ngannou hit him clean and it wouldn’t bother him, honestly. They’re not strikers like boxers.”
Fury and Ngannou face off in Riyadh on October 28. Should the Brit come through as expected, an undisputed bout with Oleksandr Usyk will be announced.