Fury vs. Ngannou date: When and where will the showdown between Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou take place?
Francis Ngannou would be facing boxing heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury on October 28th in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Ngannou had shared the news a few months back alongside a chilling promo, with the caption:
"Never doubt a man with hope and faith. #FuryNgannou 10.28.2023 | #RiyadhSeason"
Check out Francis Ngannou's tweet here:
Ngannou, who was previously the UFC heavyweight champion, had long expressed a desire for a crossover fight. Apart from wanting to test himself against the best in the squared circle, the financial draw of boxing was something the Cameroon-born champion couldn't ignore.
Given his contractual obligations to the UFC, however, Ngannou couldn't crossover to another sport. He spoke on the subject at length in a video posted to his YouTube channel, saying:
"You guys know how the UFC contract can be restrictive and as an independent contractor, you don't really have a say in that contract. You don't even have a right so I can't, I can't do that... There's not really a lot of things that you want or you can when you are in that contract. They decide for you."
Check out Francis Ngannou's comments here (1:25):
Francis Ngannou left the UFC and signed with PFL
'The Predator' saw his wishes come true when he left the UFC and later signed with the PFL. When the details of Ngannou's PFL deal came to light, it looked like the former heavyweight champion got everything he asked for, and more.
Apart from being able to box and perform in crossover fights, Francis Ngannou was also given rights to sign his own sponsors. Furthermore, Ngannou was guaranteed mouthwatering seven-figure purses for each of his appearances under the PFL banner.
Ngannou, who often spoke of the idea of fighters collectively bargaining with the UFC, also guaranteed $2 million to each of the opponents he faces in PFL. The PFL also expressed a desire to expand into new territories with the launch of local and regional MMA platforms.
Ngannou, for his part, was named as the chairman of PFL Africa, which, like the name suggests, serves the sport of MMA in the African continent. Apart from these benefits, Ngannou was also granted some sort of equity in PFL Africa, and appointed to the PFL's Global Advisory Board.