Estranged ex-coach Fernand Lopez predicts if Francis Ngannou has any chance of winning against Tyson Fury
Francis Ngannou's ex-coach Fernand Lopez has weighed in on his former pupil's upcoming fight against WBC boxing heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. Ngannou, an MMA star and former UFC heavyweight champion, is scheduled to make his boxing debut in a non-title matchup against Fury on October 28, 2023.
Early on in his MMA career, Ngannou was coached by Lopez at the MMA Factory in Paris, France. They parted ways a few years later, taking multiple jibes at one another after their fallout.
One of Lopez's star students, Ciryl Gane, notably fought Francis Ngannou in a UFC heavyweight title unification matchup in January 2022 and lost via unanimous decision.
Fernand Lopez, who's been trying to bury the hatchet with Francis Ngannou, recently spoke to MMA Junkie's Farah Hannoun and expressed his respect for Ngannou. Lopez indicated that 'The Predator' came from humble beginnings, reached great heights in MMA, and has earned a boxing match against today's best heavyweight boxer.
He insinuated that Ngannou's MMA accomplishments and brand value helped him earn the fight against Fury, despite not having previously competed in boxing.
Moreover, Fernand Lopez recalled that UFC megastar Conor McGregor surprised legendary pugilist Floyd Mayweather with a few stinging punches in their crossover boxing match. He opined that Ngannou could go one step further and knock Fury out in their fight. Lopez stated:
"So, we might have Francis there, giving some shots. And with the life, you know that even the MMA, the boxing is a training, the dedication, everything. There's a small slight pair of chance. If you have that chance to hit the chin when he's fresh, you might just shock the world. Who knows?"
"So, I don't want to say, 'There's no chance. There's zero chance.' I want to say congratulations to him. Very good move to go to the boxing. In the end of the day, that's a very good move. And then, good luck for him. Because, he have to keep dreaming, and he might just shock the world."
Check out Lopez's comments at 17:17 in the video below:
Mike Tyson shares his prediction for Francis Ngannou vs. Tyson Fury
Heading into the highly-anticipated Francis Ngannou vs. Tyson Fury boxing showdown, former undisputed boxing heavyweight kingpin 'Iron' Mike Tyson has joined Ngannou's team. 'Iron', who's helping Ngannou prepare for his boxing match against 'The Gypsy King', believes the former UFC star could pull off the upset.
In an edition of The Jim Rome Show, Mike Tyson emphasized that Francis Ngannou is an incredibly hard puncher and explained that 'The Predator' could catch Tyson Fury and make him taste the canvas. Predicting that Ngannou could surprise many by defeating Fury in the boxing ring, 'Iron' said:
"He's fast, he moves quicker, I worked with his speed, and listen man, he only has to land one or two [punches]. Tyson has never been in the ring with a guy that can punch this hard." [3:35-4:01 of the video below]"
Watch Tyson's assessment below: