Tyson Fury to Fight Former UFC Champion in Saudi Arabia

By Brian Jones

Tyson Fury is returning to the ring this fall and will face a former UFC Champion. It was announced on Tuesday that the lineal heavyweight boxing champion will battle Francis Ngannou in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Oct. 28. The fight will take place in a regulation boxing ring under boxing rules, including the 10-point must system and three ringside judges, per ESPN. It's not clear if Fury's title will be on the line or if the fight will count toward their professional boxing records. 

"I can't wait to get back out there under the lights," Fury said in a statement. "I'm looking forward to showing the world that The Gypsy King is the greatest fighter of his generation in an epic battle with another master of his craft."

"My dream was always to box, and to box the best," Ngannou said in his statement. "After becoming the undisputed MMA Heavyweight Champion, this is my opportunity to make that dream come true and cement my position as the baddest man on the planet."

Fury tried to close fights against Andy Ruiz, Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk but no agreements were reached. This led to the 34-year-old receiving special permission to fight Ngannou since there's no official challenger, according to WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman. 

The last time Fury competed was in December when he defeated Derek Chisora in 10 rounds. It was the third time to two have met, and Fury won all three bouts. Fury has competed in 34 boxing matches and has yet to lose one. The only match he didn't win was a draw against Deontay Wilder in 2018. He is currently the top-ranked heavyweight boxer and the seventh-ranked pound-for-pound boxer, per ESPN. 

Ngannou last competed in January 2022 when he defeated Ciryl Gane at UFC 270. The 36-year-old retained the UFC Heavyweight Championship, but the title was later vacated when his contract expired. In May, Ngannou signed a multi-fight contract with the Professional Fighter's League which allows him to box along with compete in mixed martial arts (MMA). 

"My next step has to be boxing," Ngannou told ESPN's Brett Okamoto in March. "I want to do one boxing match first, and then maybe go back to MMA because I still enjoy MMA. I want to do a couple of fights in boxing. We are working on some stuff, and hopefully in a month or two I will be able to come out with an announcement on potential fight dates and locations." 

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