If a fight between former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou and boxing’s heavyweight king Tyson Fury materializes, you can bet Oscar De La Hoya will tune in.
De La Hoya appeared on The MMA Hour , De La Hoya asked him his views on Ngannou possibly booking a fight with “The Gypsy King”. This possibility has been discussed since Fury beat Dillian Whyte in London. It’s a possibility that has become more distinct with Ngannou now an unrestricted free agent after recently parting ways with the UFC.
De La Hoya loves the idea, even though he doubts either man would fare well if forced to compete primarily in the other’s field.
“Fighters like [Ngannou], I think he can hang in there for a few rounds,” De La Hoya said. “If it’s a boxing ring, he obviously can hang in there for a few rounds, but Tyson Fury is a guy who grew up boxing. He was a boxer and it’s what he loves. Huge advantage for Fury. It would have a different outcome if Fury was kept in a cage. [Ngannou] would tap him out or whatever, kick him and knock him out in 30 seconds. Totally different sports.
“But I think it will be great for both sports. It will be an enormous fight, which I believe will make boxing great. It will be a mega event like when [Mike] Tyson was fighting. These big fights and events were all the rage. That big .
Crossover boxing bouts, though rare, have consistently done well, with UFC star Conor McGregor’s August 2017 clash with boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. standing as a prime example. The once-in-a-lifetime matchup generated enormous buzz and delivered at the box office, clearing the 4 million pay-per-view buys mark. Jake Paul, a YouTuber, has started a fight career boxing MMA fighters like Tyron Woodley and Ben Askren.
De La Hoya dipped his toes in the MMA waters in 2018 with an event headlined a trilogy bout between Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell, and though his Golden Boy Promotions has stuck to boxing since, he looks forward to working with cage-fighters again in the future.
” I would love to talk to [Ngannou],” De La Hoya. Any fighter in MMA, I am here. I love to talk to anyone. I would love to pick their brain, I would love to maybe sit down and discuss some business. It’s something I would be open to. These fighters are MMA fighters, and I believe they would be great to talk to each other and learn from one another .”
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Ngannou isn’t the only former UFC star who could be strapping on a pair of boxing gloves soon. Since Nate Diaz fought out his UFC contract this past September, speculation has swirled around what is next for the fan-favorite fighter, whether that is signing with another MMA promotion or bringing his unique style to the squared circle.
If Diaz chooses to box, De La Hoya is his fan.
” We are friends,” De La Hoya stated. “I respect him like there’s no tomorrow. He’s real, he’s authentic, he’s as real as they get and he’s a fighter. He can fight. I would love to talk to him. There’s a lot of interesting possibilities with Nate Diaz — a possible Jake Paul fight for instance, which would be massive, which would be huge. There’s other fights that you can build up and promote but I would love to talk to him.”
Source: https://www.mmafighting.com/2023/1/28/23571582/oscar-de-la-hoya-francis-ngannou-vs-tyson-fury-would-be-mega-event-on-par-with-mike-tyson-fights?rand=96749
