Mike Tyson said that if the former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou defeats Tyson Fury in their 10-round fight later this year then it would be a greater upset than when Buster Douglas shook up the world by beating 'Iron Mike' in 1990.
That's not to say that he's counting Ngannou out.
The MMA fighter enlishted the help of the former heavyweight king, and Tyson has marveled at the power Ngannou possesses.
"Tyson Fury got dropped by a small guy [Steve] Cunningham early in his career," Tyson said Wednesday on The Jim Rome Show. "And this guy [Ngannou] punches like God knows who.
"He moves quicker, and he only has to land one or two. Tyson has never been in the ring with a guy who punches this hard," said Mike Tyson.
Fury, famously, scored two wins and a draw in an iconic three-fight rivalry with Deontay Wilder.
But Tyson said he believes Ngannou hits harder.
"I think this guy punches harder than anyone [Fury] has ever fought," he said.
On what Ngannou has to do to spring the upset, Tyson added: "He has to go all-out aggression — punches to the body, punches to the head, what he's been working with.
"He wants to do this for his country, people, patriotic pride. I'm ecstatic to be doing this [with him]."
