Ariel Helwani raises hard-hitting question after Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk announcement before Francis Ngannou fight
MMA journalist Ariel Helwani weighed in after Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk was officially announced while he's preparing for his heavyweight fight with Francis Ngannou.
The MMA Hour host took to X and noted that the fight being announced is massive for the sport of boxing, but questioned the timing of making that announcement a month before 'The Gypsy King' competes in another bout.
He questioned the decision as it could result in the upcoming fight with the former UFC heavyweight champion losing some of it's appeal:
"I know I know. No one thinks Ngannou has a chance. I get it...But why before 10/28? Does it not diminish the fight a bit? Rare this happens. Obviously we know when someone is next and all that but rare a fight gets announced like this before the next one happens."
Helwani also added that although he is an underdog, Francis Ngannou is capable of pulling off an upset. He questioned what would happen in the event that 'The Predator' shocks the boxing world and defeats 'The Gypsy King' in his professional debut, writing:
"And dare I ask…What…If…Francis…Actually…Wins?!.../ducks"
It will be interesting to see whether Francis Ngannou can pull off a massive upset and if he does, what it would mean for Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk.
Francis Ngannou believes a fight against Jon Jones wouldn't need a title
Francis Ngannou has expressed interest in fighting Jon Jones on a number of occasions and recently addressed whether a title would need to be up for grabs.
During his appearance on episode #146 of the JRE MMA Show, the former UFC heavyweight champion mentioned that he remains hopeful that a super fight against 'Bones' will materialize some day.
He noted that the fight would be more than enough for him as he believes it would be bigger than a title bout, saying:
"I don't worry about a title; the title is not what I worry about. I worry about that fight, that challenge, and I wouldn't care if it was a fight without a title...I don't need a UFC title...That fight [with Jon Jones] is bigger than a title."
Watch the video below from 8:34 to 8:54