Fury v Ngannou - big-fight predictions

Ngannou says that Fighting Fury is not like MMA. They will face each other in a heavyweight match in Saudi Arabia on October 28th. You can keep up with the action by reading text commentary on the BBC Sport website or app starting at 9PM BST.

On Saturday in Saudi Arabia, Tyson Fury will deviate from his responsibilities as a world-title heavyweight fighter by confronting Francis Ngannou, a prominent figure in the world of Mixed Martial Arts.

The people of Britain are excited to see former UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou enter the world of boxing. He will be participating in a bout that is not for a championship title, but it will be overseen by the British Boxing Board of Control.

Despite being a significant long-shot at the ripe age of 37, Ngannou is set to face off against the undefeated WBC champ. However, it's important to note that Fury's championship title won't be up for grabs during this particular event.

Fury has expressed that if he loses, the world has the right to "mock" him.

Some of the prominent figures in boxing and MMA have made predictions about upcoming events.

Tom Aspinall, a UFC heavyweight, believes that while Francis Ngannou has a chance of winning, it's unlikely. Heavyweights have a lot of power behind their punches, especially someone like Ngannou, but in this case, Aspinall thinks that Fury will most likely come out on top. In fact, he feels that in 99 out of 100 fights between the two, Fury would win without too much trouble.

According to Natasha Jonas, a two-time boxing world champion, if she were Tyson's manager, she would suggest taking some time to get rid of ring rust by participating in a few rounds. She would also advise Tyson to periodically show his domination by demonstrating his boxing skills and reminding everyone that he is the true king of the ring. Finally, she would suggest that he should leave the ring upon finishing his fights.

According to the ex-boxing titleholder Joe Calzaghe, Tyson Fury will triumph in a few rounds. He believes that Fury will spend the first two rounds jabbing and evading attacks, but that he will take the lead in three or four rounds.

Lerone Murphy, who is a UFC fighter, said that he expects Tyson Fury to outperform his opponent by a significant margin. He believes that the sport of boxing is entirely different from the one he is familiar with and that Francis Ngannou may not produce the same amount of strength and power with the gloves he'll be using.

Barry Jones, the boxing expert for BBC 5 Live, believes that Francis is an excellent fighter in his weight class and field of expertise. However, Francis isn't a boxer, and Tyson is the best in the division. Tyson has no trouble beating the best active boxers, so it seems surprising that he would struggle against someone who's never boxed before. In Barry's opinion, Tyson will easily defeat Ngannou and either end the fight mid-round or finish it quickly. The only uncertainty is how strong Ngannou's chin is.

Tommy Fury, a professional boxer, stated that the fight between Francis Ngannou and Tyson Fury is similar to the one he had with KSI. It is a crossover fight that is enjoyable for the fans. However, comparing Ngannou, an MMA fighter, to Tyson, one of the best boxers ever, is not possible. Everyone knows what the outcome of this fight will be, and it is just a fan-friendly match. Tyson will then move on to more serious fights in December.

Leah McCourt, a Bellator fighter, stated that it is difficult to not root for Tyson Fury in his upcoming bout, but she believes Francis is a legitimate champion who has achieved the impossible in the past. According to McCourt, Francis appears to be fully prepared for this match, having prepared in every possible way. However, McCourt would relish seeing some of the boxers transitioning into the realm of MMA.

Ex-super middleweight world champion Richie Woodhall believes that Tyson Fury will emerge victorious in this fight at his discretion. He doesn't have much faith in Francis Ngannou's chances. In Woodhall's opinion, the first three rounds will be essential to Ngannou's success. However, he thinks that winning on points is out of the question for him since he isn't accustomed to the ten-round professional boxing format. Woodhall speculates that Fury will play around for a bit before deciding to end the fight, and there's almost no chance of it lasting past six rounds.

Jared Anderson, who is an American heavyweight, has shared his opinion about the upcoming match between Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou. Anderson believes that Fury will emerge as the winner by a significant lead. Being a big fan of Tyson, he hopes that Mike Tyson has done his best to prepare Ngannou, but Anderson still has his money on Fury.

Former UFC champion Junior dos Santos expressed his excitement for the upcoming show but predicted that Tyson Fury will come out on top by utilizing his signature moves of throwing jabs and moving around strategically throughout the fight to slowly gain the upper hand. Despite this prediction, dos Santos expressed his support for Francis Ngannou, despite acknowledging that the odds may not be in their favor against boxing. He hopes that Ngannou, who is known for his incredible power and impressive record as a hitter in MMA, will be able to secure the first MMA victory over boxing. Overall, despite acknowledging the potential difficulties, dos Santos remains optimistic about his favored fighter and encourages them to give it their all.

According to Nina Hughes, who is a boxing world champion, Fury had an easy win. She stated that Fury played with his opponent in the initial rounds and eventually knocked him out in the later part of the match.

Frazer Clarke, a British heavyweight, commented on the upcoming boxing event, remarking that while it is a significant night for the sport, the main event does not involve two professional boxers. He believes that this is indicative of the current climate in boxing. In his opinion, it is likely that Tyson Fury will emerge as the sole victor, and although Francis Ngannou has a chance to win, it is slim. Despite this, he emphasized that the other heavyweight matches on the card are notable and exciting, but the outcome of the main event seems clear.

Anthony Crolla, a former lightweight world champion, believes that if Francis Ngannou manages to win against Tyson Fury, it would be one of the biggest surprises in not only boxing but in all sporting history. However, Crolla doesn't think the fight will last very long and will only go as long as Fury wants it to. Fury may play it safe if he has another fight scheduled in December, and it might only last three rounds. Crolla predicts that Fury will play a defensive game, wear Ngannou down, and show how elusive he is by allowing him to take some shots. But ultimately, Fury will knock Ngannou out within the first half of the fight. Crolla would be surprised if the fight goes beyond that.

Ex-world champion in the light-middleweight division, Hannah Rankin, predicts that Fury will come out victorious in the upcoming fight due to his superior boxing ability. Although Ngannou possesses immense punching power, Fury is taking this fight seriously and doesn't want to jeopardize his fight with Usyk later down the line. Therefore, he plans to use the fight as a platform to showcase his boxing skills and impress his fans, while also incorporating some entertaining theatrics.

Shannon Briggs, ex-heavyweight boxing champion, predicts that Tyson Fury will win in the fifth round. Briggs believes that Fury will dominate and outbox his opponent, Francis Ngannou, for a few rounds. However, Briggs expects that Ngannou will eventually make an error, allowing Fury to knock him out.

Ex-welterweight Dan Hardy from the UK's Ultimate Fighting Championship believes that Fury will use the first three rounds to casually take on Ngannou, then he will work towards weakening him in the following rounds to round four, five, and six, aiming for specific uppercuts and body shots. He anticipates a shock if Ngannou manages to score a hit that could alter the fight's course. However, he is open to surprises and ready to see how the match unfolds.

According to British boxer John Ryder, Tyson Fury will toy with Ngannou until he feels like finishing him off and then completely destroys him. Though he may drag it out for a short time, the ultimate winner is definitely Tyson Fury.

The statement made by Nathaniel Wood, a UFC fighter, suggests that Ngannou's chances of winning a boxing match are low. Although he acknowledges that the heavyweight division can be unpredictable, he believes that Ngannou is taking on the best boxer in the sport of boxing. Wood expresses his desire for Ngannou to emerge victorious, as it would showcase the versatility of MMA fighters.