British boxer Tyson Fury and former UFC star Francis Ngannou have announced a date for a highly anticipated fight. The news comes after weeks of negotiations and rumours of a clash that fans have been clamouring for.
The bout comes almost nine months after Fury’s last professional fight which saw him defeat Derek Chisora for a third time. The 34-year-old claimed the victory in the 10th round via TKO and saw him defend his WBC title.
Ngannou’s last fight came back in January 2022 when he defeated Ciryl Gane by unanimous decision after going the distance. The fight would be the 36-year-old’s last under the UFC when he agreed a deal to join the Professional Fighters League (PFL).
The decision not to renew his deal with the UFC saw him stripped of his Heavyweight Championship belt and becoming a free agent. His new deal with the PFL allows him to compete in a range of combat sports, which includes boxing.
Both fighters have now agreed a deal that will see them take to the ring on Saturday, October 28. The fight is set to take place in Saudi Arabia and will be contested under boxing rules.
Fury has 34 fights to his name, including 33 wins and one draw against Deontay Wilder. However, the fight would not count towards his professional record no matter the result.
Before leaving the UFC, Ngannou had an equally impressive record. From 20 professional fights the Cameroonian won 12 by knock-out and has only lost three times, all of which by decision.
The news of the fight comes hot off accusations that Fury should be stripped of his boxing titles if he decided to fight Ngannou. Deotnay Wilder’s coach Malik Scott claimed via ESNEWS that the fight “just holds up the heavyweight division.”
Scott added that any agreement of a fight should allow Deontay Wilder and Andy Ruiz fight for the WBC belt instead. Fury has since hit back at the comments on his Instagram, saying: “Hey guys, little bit of clarification. I hear there’s a lot of unknown, irrelevant people talking about how I should be stripped of me belt. [Laughing] Don’t hate the player, hate the game. I don’t have a mandatory.
“When I do have a mandatory, it will be dealt with just like every other mandatory I’ve ever had. Until then, keep on hating motherf***ers! And enjoy the little, little, little, tiny bit of money you guys are making. All the big Gs in the house.”