Gypsy King v Predator
Tyson Fury serious about fighting Francis Ngannou as he reveals proposed date and venue for boxing bout with the UFC heavyweight champion
Tyson Fury has a huge year on his hands, but he’s already pencilled in a potential pay-per-view record-breaker for 2023.
The Gypsy King is due to defend his WBC title against Dillian Whyte in the coming months and as soon as that’s officially signed, it’s believed the fight will take place on April 23 at Wembley Stadium.
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Should he retain his heavyweight crown, the 33-year-old will then be in line to face the winner of Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk in an undisputed showdown.
That would be quite the year, but Fury has plans to go from that to a mammoth crossover fight with the UFC's heavyweight champion, Francis Ngannou.
A bout has been teased by the pair plenty, but now Fury has a tentative date and venue in place for the scrap.
"I am going to fight Francis Ngannou in Las Vegas next year - in March or February,” Fury told iFL TV.
"There's been no talks this year, because I have got some boxing to do.
"But next year we can have some crazy fights. It's a massive fight - I believe it breaks all pay-per-view records in the United States.
"Two heavyweight champions going head to head."
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Fury says there’s been no talks this year because he’s busy and that’s true, but Ngannou is also under UFC contract and is currently at odds with the company over a new deal.
The Predator would have been out of contract if he’d lost to Cyril Gane at UFC 270 in January, but since he was victorious, his deal automatically extended for another year due to the ‘champion’s clause.’
Still, Ngannou told TMZ that with or without UFC, he will be making a foray into boxing and he wants his date with Fury.
“This is going [to] happen either way. Even if I stay... If, or when, the UFC and I finalise a deal, the boxing part has to be in it. I can’t see myself retiring without boxing.
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“I would like to test myself to their level. It’s not the same sport, but I’m the champion, so I’m in the top in this division.
"At the end of the day, it’s just about throwing hands, throwing punches, having a good delivery system to throw those bombs. I’m sure that if I deliver my own punches pretty good, I can [do] some damage.”
Damage is one thing Ngannou can do as Fury would be posed with facing the man with the hardest recorded punch on the planet.
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