Tyson Fury’s lack of fight news continues to frustrate both him and his fans, with his aggravation reaching a tipping point this week when he demanded a bout in the next couple of months.
With the main players in the division happy to wait for a tournament in Saudi at the end of the year, the WBC champion has decided to look elsewhere for an opponent.
‘The Gypsy King’ defended his heavyweight crown back in December in a one-sided affair against Derek Chisora. Ahead of the bout, Fury struggled for an opponent once again, flirting with the idea of facing Manuel Charr before switching to his old friend ‘Del Boy’ – both of those challengers being met with equal criticism from the boxing community.
Now, Fury finds himself in a similar situation after the collapse of a proposed undisputed title clash with Oleksandr Usyk. His high-value rivals seem unlikely to risk their position in the rumoured tournament at the end of the year, meaning Fury must fight a new contender, and he may have found a match from the MMA scene.
On his Instagram, the 33-year-old has called for former UFC champion, Francis Ngannou, to ‘sign the contract’ after being linked with a move to boxing in a high-profile crossover fight.
“Francis Ngannou, big mush, I am your Daddy. I am the Daddy, me. I’m the baddest man on the planet and I’ll give you the best hiding that you have ever had, you big dosser. Sign the contract, you big stiff idiot.”
Ngannou is recognised as the most brutal finisher in UFC history, but left the franchise back in January and recently signed a deal with the PFL which will allow him to compete in boxing and MMA simultaneously.
The Cameroonian may have timed this move to perfection with Fury desperately seeking a worthy opponent, but a world title shot on debut would be sure to cause controversy.