Tyson Fury and UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou will fight under standard boxing rules when they meet in a massive crossover fight on October 28.
Fury is currently the WBC heavyweight champion, but won't put his belt on the line when the pair head to the Middle East before Halloween. Ngannou is considered the greatest in his division inside the cage, but dropped his belt when he left the promotion for MMA's No.2 PFL earlier this year.
No titles will be on the line but the fight will be scored by three judges under the 10-point must system over ten rounds of three minutes. It remains to be seen whether or not Fury or Ngannou will have the fight added to their professional records, but with the fight taking place in a regulation ring and being overseen by the commission, it will for all intents and purposes be a pro boxing fight.
“As soon as that bell goes, it’ll be bombs away!" Fury said in a statement today. "This guy is supposed to be the hardest puncher in the world, but let’s see how he reacts when he gets hit by the Big GK [Gypsy King]. I can’t wait to get back out there under the lights.
"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. Francis looked tough when he jumped in the ring after the Whyte fight, but there is no one tougher than me, and you’ll all see that in devastating fashion on October 28.
"I’d like to thank my promoters Frank Warren and Bob Arum, my manager Spencer Brown and the guys at Riyadh Season for making this incredible event possible. It’s going to be a fight for the ages. Get up!”
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Ngannou added: “I’ve been waiting to meet Tyson in the ring for the past three years. My dream was always to box, and to box the best. 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. All I will say to Tyson for now is he better dance in that ring because if I touch him, he’s going to sleep.”
The bout will be a co-promotion between Top Rank and Queensberry, who promote Fury, along with Ngannou's new banner GIMIK Fight Promotions. They will be partnering with the Saudi Arabian Riyadh Season to put on a massive showcase, which will be headlined by the spectacle fight.
It is the latest major crossover bout in boxing, with Ngannou making the leap into Fury's world. Conor McGregor famously took on Floyd Mayweather in 2017, with the pair each pocketing hundreds of millions despite the fight being a relatively lacklustre affair which the boxer won handily.
