Tyson Fury faces Oleksandr Usyk on February 17, the winner becoming the first sole champion of the heavyweight division in over two decades. The man who almost ruined those plans has now given his prediction.
Francis Ngannou made his debut against Fury in October of 2023, dropping the heavyweight champion in the third round of ten and battling to a close loss on the cards.
Fans were shocked on two counts – impressed by Ngannou’s performance and left wondering if Fury’s best days were behind him. Many even changed their prediction for the already-signed Usyk bout.
Still, speaking to Queensberry Promotions, the MMA man turned pro boxer backed his former opponent to emerge as the next undisputed champion.
“If I’m objective, I will say Tyson Fury. Speaking from myself, I will still say Tyson Fury. Obviously I’m not counting Usyk out. I know he can win this fight. He has a very good chance maybe even. But I still go for Tyson, and I still want him to win to see him for that rematch.”
Fury will enter the ring the betting favourite, although Usyk is no stranger to upsetting the odds in the heavyweight division, most notably in his first fight with Anthony Joshua for the unified titles.
His late stoppage win over Daniel Dubois was impressive on paper, but many feel the Ukrainian once again showed a vulnerability to the body that Fury may be able to exploit.
The Brit, though, certainly didn’t inspire in his last contest with Ngannou, and the general verdict is he must prepare much more diligently to snatch three belts from Usyk and add them to his WBC.