Though most purist fight fans will look at Tyson Fury, the WBC heavyweight world champion and lineal heavyweight champion, facing Francis Ngannou, the former UFC heavyweight champion, who will do battle on October 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as an exhibition or a circus of a fight. The bout will count on both fighters professional records, but Fury's WBC heavyweight world title will not be on the line.
Today on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, a show broadcast on MMAFighting's YouTube channel. Ngannou gave more details.
“Yeah, there’s a potential rematch clause,” said Ngannou to Ariel Helwani on the MMA Hour. “I don’t know exactly how to explain that language, but yes, there is a rematch inside it."
This could be extremely souring news for fight fans looking to see a fight between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight title, as this fight serves as an annoyance, but a rematch clause could be seen as a roadblock. Currently, Usyk is staying-busy defending his WBA heavyweight world title in August against Daniel Dubois in Poland, and one would hope that Usyk would face Fury in 2024.
Ngannou explained that if he beats Fury that Fury has a rematch clause, but he is unsure if Fury beats him if there is a rematch clause.
Ngannou also outlined that a press conference will take place soon, but that the United States might not be on the schedule. This could be based on Fury seemingly having issues entering the United States as he has not trained or fought in the United States since defeating Deontay Wilder for a third time in 2021.
"Right now [the press conferences will take place in] London, probably Africa, and then Saudi [Arabia]," said Ngannou. "We still don't know about [if a press conference will happen in] the U.S. yet."
As for a timeline of events. If Ngannou were to beat Fury, a huge IF, then Ngannou would take an MMA match and enter into his rematch clause.
“[A rematch with Fury] would be after the PFL debut,” Ngannou said who explained he would fight for an MMA organization called the PFL in early 2024 and revisit the Fury rematch in the middle of 2024 if he wins.
