"He can't hurt him" - Francis Ngannou warned by promoter ahead of Tyson Fury bout
Eddie Hearn has warned Francis Ngannou that his power won't matter at all later this month.
In Saudi Arabia next Saturday night, 'The Predator' will head to the boxing ring for his first bout. For Ngannou, he will face WBC heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury. 'The Gypsy King' will not put his title on the line, but will have his lineal title up for grabs.
Since the fight announcement, virtually everyone has counted out the former UFC champion. To help bridge the gap, Ngannou has brought in the legendary Mike Tyson to help train him. However, 'Iron Mike' will only be able to do so much in the few months that he has.
However, Francis Ngannou possesses power like few others, and he believes that will be the difference. Well, Eddie Hearn doesn't seem to agree. Speaking to Boxing Social in a recent interview, the promoter was asked about the heavyweight clash.
There, he made it clear that Ngannou could land clean on Fury, and it wouldn't even matter. In the interview, the Matchroom executive stated:
"Fury may play with him and just hold him up. If Fury wants to, he’ll stop him in the first round, no problem. If not, he’ll school him, get him to gas out and stop him on his feet. He can’t win a round. He can’t hurt him. He could actually put his chin out and let Ngannou hit him clean and it wouldn’t bother him, honestly. They’re not strikers like boxers.”
Francis Ngannou vs. Tyson Fury: Betting Odds
As we head into Francis Ngannou vs. Tyson Fury fight week, there is a clear favorite.
'The Predator' is outgunned heading into his first boxing match, and that's not exactly a reveal. Even during his time in the UFC, Ngannou wasn't known as a master boxer.
Instead, he was known for his unreal power, which few can compare to. However, if there's someone who has experienced a punch the calibur of Ngannou, it's 'The Gypsy King'. After all, he fought and survived Deontay Wilder on three different occasions.
With that in mind, the betting odds between Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou are quite lopsided. According to the current line from FanDuel, the boxer is a -1350 favorite to win. Meanwhile, Ngannou is a +720 underdog for his first boxing match.
Then again, if there's anyone who can probably beat the odds, it would be 'The Predator'.