Last April, WBC heavyweight champion Briton Tyson Fury (33-0-1, 24 KOs) knocked out his mandatory challenger compatriot Dillian Whyte (29-3, 19 KOs), after which he challenged UFC champion Cameroonian Francis Ngannou (17-3 in MMA).
In early January, rumors spread that the African failed to negotiate a new contract with the promotion and would soon leave the UFC. That’s how it all happened. Ngannou does not hide the fact that his priority is to continue his career in boxing, voiced potential opponents.
Former challenger and current MMA columnist Chael Sonnen calls a potential Fury vs. Ngannou fight “the dumbest thing in boxing history.” He
explainedwhat exactly annoys him in this situation: “You know what I still don’t understand? Why are they trying to reinvent the wheel? Why all this talk about the fact that their fight will take place according to some special rules? Why don’t they just box? Moreover, Francis himself offered to fight according to the rules of boxing. Obviously, this is Tyson’s idea – to create some kind of hybrid, some new rules.
“So what does Fury propose,” Sonnen continues. He wants to fight in a cage. What for? I have no idea, but OK. He wants to fight with 4-ounce gloves. What for? No idea, but OK. He wants to fight by the rules, but by the old ones
Queensberry rules. He practically begs to do just that. And it surprised. I won’t say that I was disappointed, although somewhere nearby. To put it simply, Tyson came up with the dumbest idea in the history of sports. And he knows it.”
Last week, Tyson Fury accepted Ngannou’s challenge: “Big fight for the title of the baddest bastard!” In the meantime, those who want to intercept the African have appeared: Sauerland and KSI want to sign Francia. A potential rival has been named.