Tyson Fury versus Francis Ngannou is happening, and many have expressed distaste at the idea of the world heavyweight champion facing an unranked debutant from the world of MMA.
Ngannou’s power is undeniable, but rarely have boxing fans seen a successful transition from that side to this – and the 36-year-old has perhaps the toughest puzzle the sport can offer in Fury.
However, there are good things from sparring to suggest it may be more competitive than once thought. Joe Joyce sparred the former UFC heavyweight champion back in 2020, and told Givemesport he was a ‘freak of nature.’
“I sparred Ngannou before the Dubois fight, he’s a big, powerful unit. It was a good experience to spar him. He’s a freak of nature. He’s got phenomenal power.
“Most of the time I was trying to get away from those power shots to avoid getting my head taken off.”
Fury’s movement has been regarded as up there with the best in the sport, and it seems he’ll have to use it against Ngannou – at least for a while – to save the embarrassment of a knockdown or even knockout.
Joyce’s manager at the time, Sam Jones, later praised Ngannou to Sky Sports and talked up his skills in the ring.
“Let me tell you something about Ngannou – he can box at a high level. Ngannou was standing in a weird stance. Then just stood upright and started throwing huge bombs at Joe’s head! It took Joe a round to work him out.
“Ngannou and Joe went eight rounds of holding their feet. It was the most entertaining spar I’ve ever seen Joe in. The hairs on the back of the neck stood up.”
“They went to war. They traded right hands for fun. Ngannou was throwing his right hand from his boots! Ngannou has a great chin. Everybody knows Joe does too. I told him after the spar: ‘You can [come to boxing] no problem, this is easy for you’.
The sparring story will perhaps serve to dampen the anger of some fans who are branding it a mismatch. Ngannou faces Fury – not for his world title – on October 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.