Tyson Fury is set to face Francis Ngannou on October 28 in a crossover bout which has drawn both hype and criticism in equal measure.
Former UFC champion Ngannou holds the world record for the hardest punch ever recorded, but Fury doesn’t seem too bothered about that, saying the ‘The Predator’ must be able to land first.
Speaking to Carl Frampton on TNT Sports Boxing about the power possessed by the man he’ll be facing, Fury said:
“I don’t get concerned over a man’s ability because that’s his God given talent, he’s strong and he can knock men out, that’s what he does. But all of these guys can punch, if you let a heavyweight hit you in the face, knockout. So it’s up to me not to let that happen. If he lands a punch on me, great, if he doesn’t, then he doesn’t. My chin isn’t like a piece of paper when you touch it, it just falls over, you’ll find out that I’m very tough – that’s the reason I’ve had 34 fights unbeaten in 15 years.”
Commenting on his newfound aggressive approach to fighting adopted since teaming up with Kronk-style trainer, SugarHill Steward, Fury made the bold claim that after knocking out American power puncher Deontay Wilder he took the crown as the hardest hitting heavyweight.
“People say that Deontay Wilder is the biggest puncher in heavyweight boxing but I beat him, I knocked him out, so I take that crown. I’m the biggest puncher in heavyweight boxing.”
Boxing fans might be watching the spectacle for reasons other than the contest that night, as, should Fury come through unscathed, he looks set to finally to face Oleksandr Usyk in the first undisputed heavyweight clash since Lennox Lewis vs Evander Holyfield back in 1999.