RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – John Fury refuses to overlook Francis Ngannou, but he thinks his son will be in full control of the script from the opening bell.
Tyson Fury takes on Ngannou on Saturday in a 10-round boxing match. As usual, his father has full confidence in his son – and isn’t afraid to let everyone know it.
“I see a great fight, but I only see one winner: Tyson,” Fury told MMA Junkie at Riyadh Arena on Thursday. “It will be a masterclass boxing display, but I think Tyson can end it whenever he wants. But you never know. The guy is a big puncher. He’s a big boy, 270 pounds. He could land a bomb and things could be different. It’s landing that bomb. All heavyweights can punch.”
“… Tyson Fury (will win) on a nice boxing display. Tyson stops him whenever he likes, I think. He’s going to want to entertain the people in Saudi. They’ve come a long way. They’ve paid a lot of money on the pay-per-view. So he’s going to give them a great show.”
Ngannou has yet to compete in a professional boxing match. Meanwhile, Fury is the consensus best heavyweight in the boxing world today with a record of 33-0-1. Oozing as much confidence as ever, Fury still pushed back on the idea there isn’t a viable threat. In the heavyweight division, there’s always a threat.
“We’re too professional (to overlook Ngannou),” Fury said. “We don’t overlook anyone. We take one fight at a time and we take it all serious. Any man that climbs up that ladder into that square ring, you’ve got to take him serious, especially a 270-pound guy.”
Even if Ngannou gets knocked out with the first punch, Fury can’t help but respect him. In a monetary sense, Fury thinks Ngannou, in reality, can’t be deemed a loser regardless of the outcome.
“It’s a tall order for him, having his first boxing match against the best boxer in the world at heavyweight,” Ngannou said. “Credit to him for doing his thing, sort of thing. He’s getting world-paid for it. He’s involved in the greatest show on Earth here in the great Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. You know what? He’s done his job, win, lose, or draw. It’s a win-win-win for him, no matter the result.”
For more on the matchup, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Fury vs. Ngannou.
