Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou has enlisted the help of sports icon Mike Tyson ahead of the crossover boxing match against Tyson Fury.
“Bringing Mike Tyson into my training camp is one of the best decisions I can make to prepare for Tyson Fury in the ring,” Ngannou confirmed in a press release Thursday.
The heavyweight clash will headline an event on October 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as Ngannou makes his boxing debut against one of boxing’s best heavyweights of the last 25 years.
Ngannou became one of the hottest free agents on the market when he left the UFC earlier this year, after building a 17-3 record in pro MMA, having won and defended the UFC title in his last two fights.
For his upcoming showdown against Fury it is likely he will earn more than he ever did for his 19 MMA fights combined.
He enters the ring with a formidable knockout record after building an incredible highlight-reel icing the likes of Alistair Overeem, Curtis Blaydes, Cain Velasquez, Junior dos Santos, and Stipe Miocic.
Though it remains to be seen if that punching power will translate to a smaller ring, with far heavier gloves, it is the asset that enamored him most to Mike Tyson.
Tyson continued: “He isn’t a combat novice; he is a world champion. He knows how to compete when the bell rings, but the key will be combining his energy and combat skills into his punches and using his agility to move swiftly around the ring then delivering the knock-out blow.
“We’re here to win,” he finished.
Ngannou has trained in Las Vegas under the tutelage of MMA guru Eric Nicksick, yet for his crossover match in a boxing ring he regards Tyson’s “experience and boxing IQ” as fundamental assets in his quest to upset the odds in the Middle East.
“I’ve been wanting this fight for years,” he said. “And now that it’s here, I’m focused on fighting the greatest fight of my career and shocking the world on the most epic stage for the fans in Riyadh.
“October 28th, the world will know who’s the ‘Baddest Man on The Planet’.”
