Tyson Fury Readies for “Absolute Battle Royale” With Ngannou

All eyes on October 28 will be firmly on Saudi Arabia and the squared circle as Tyson Fury goes up against Francis Ngannou in what can only be described as a “mega fight”. However, if you ask the professional boxer, it will be “an absolute battle royale” against a man he has described as an “absolute killer”.

The WBC heavyweight champion will be putting on his gloves and going up against one of the most impressive men to have ever stepped inside a UFC Octagon, with the beastly brawler having been a former UFC heavyweight champion.

The showdown is a crossover contest that has started to grow in popularity, but it is arguably one that is as high on the list of attraction and appeal as the one that saw Floyd Mayweather take on Conor McGregor in August 2017. But, with “The Gypsy King” one of the biggest names in world boxing, the contest is likely to have even more eyes on it than those that witnessed the bout six years ago that can be considered to have been the birth of these types of exhibition fights.

Fury is the favorite but not taking it easy

Despite the fact that Ngannou is not a professional boxer, it would seem that Fury is treating him as seriously as any of the opponents he has stepped inside the ring with in the past. With the fight scheduled to take place on October 28, the 35-year-old has been telling everyone that he is doing the same things he has always done, while cracking jokes about his appearance by admitting that he is “still fat”.

He revealed that he has been enjoying his training camp and has been training for nine weeks straight, and following the same processes that have seen him be undefeated for the last decade and more.

Unsurprisingly, he is the strong favorite for the upcoming bout, with numerous bookmakers already providing sports betting odds on the contest. According to Unibet’s offering, they have the pro boxer at -910, while Ngannou is priced at +700. The draw is valued at +1,400 for those who believe it will end without a winner.

Fury will enter the fight off the back of a recent contest against Derek Chisora, which he defeated in the third of their bouts against each other. Since then, he has been training and admitted that he is taking the former UFC champion 100% seriously and is treating him as if he were Deontay Wilder, Wladimir Klitschko and everyone else.

Should we expect an all-out war?

Given Ngannou’s lack of boxing experience, there can often be questions about whether a crossover exhibition like this will actually be as good as they can often be hyped up to be. Indeed, it would appear that all the ingredients are there for a stellar contest and one that can have fans wowing once the final bell rings.

Ngannou is one of the strongest men in the world and has a punch to prove it, something that Fury is well aware of. If he is able to land some of them, there is every concern that the pro boxer may not get back up. However, as history has shown us with some of his fights in the past, the “Gypsy King” is able to get back to his feet when he is rarely knocked down and when the odds appear stacked against him.

October 28 should be a night where guns are blazing from both men, with heavy strikes and blows being landed. The clash of styles could be the major difference in this fight between two behemoths, though.

Will Fury win because he is a pro boxer?

The advantage has to be with the WBC heavyweight champion from the onset because it is his sport. Ngannou is an accomplished cage fighter, but that requires a completely different combat approach and style that may not be suited to boxing.

He will need to ensure he can match the professional boxer with everything he has, and remember that he cannot use certain techniques that he may use when in the Octagon. Instinct can take over and without warning, so where he is able to do things that boxing does not allow, he will need to restrict himself and be as calm and measured as possible.

Fury, on the other hand, will be able to go in with the same game plan that he has always had and continue to look to execute it in the same way as in the past. If he does this, then it is hardly a surprise that he is the heavy favorite to win this “battle royale” brawl against the “absolute killer” Ngannou.