"It's a different game" - Jairzinho Rozenstruik predicts outcome of potential Francis Ngannou vs. Tyson Fury superfight
Jairzinho Rozenstruik has put forth his take regarding the potential superfight between UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou and boxing heavyweight great Tyson Fury.
'Bigi Boi' is no stranger to Ngannou. Rozenstruik faced ‘The Predator’ back in 2020 and was defeated via first-round KO. Presently, Rozenstruik is scheduled to face Alexander Volkov in a headlining matchup at UFC Fight Night 207 on June 4.
ARE YOU KIDDING?! 🤯🤯
@Francis_Ngannou with his FOURTH consecutive first-round KO! WOW! #UFC249 https://t.co/1M6Fh0GQpi
In the latest edition of The MMA Hour, Ariel Helwani asked Rozenstruik whether he saw Ngannou beating Fury in their mixed-rules fight. The fight's expected to be a boxing match contested with 4-ounce MMA gloves. Rozenstruik responded by stating:
“Ah, yes and no. Boxing is different. Boxing is different. If you get tired, so what? When you get gassed out, that means you can’t do nothing. All your experience are gone. It’s like you’ll be in a punching bag. That’s what I believe it is when you gas out; that’s going to happen. It’s going to be a matter of time when you should go down.”
Helwani then chimed in and asked whether ‘Bigi Boy’ would lean towards Fury beating Ngannou. Rozenstruik replied by saying:
“Yeah, I think so, boxing-wise. MMA is different. You can take him [Fury] down, wear him out on the ground, and then get him back up. All his arms are limp. He can’t punch. That’s different. But boxing-wise, it’s a different game.”
Watch Jairzinho Rozenstruik’s conversation with Ariel Helwani in the video below:
Boxing legend James Toney on Francis Ngannou’s superfight against Tyson Fury
Speaking to TMZ Sports, James Toney recently discussed the Francis Ngannou vs. Tyson Fury superfight. The former three-division world champion picked Fury to dominantly defeat Ngannou.
Toney himself had crossed over to MMA for a one-off fight against Randy Couture in 2010 and lost via first-round submission. Regardless, he's still confident that the Ngannou-Fury superfight will witness the boxer, Tyson Fury, emerge victorious. Toney said:
“Man, come on, dawg!” Toney added, “Once Tyson Fury hits you, it's a wrap. It's a wrap!”
Check out the full interview with TMZ Sports below:
Following Tyson Fury’s win over Dillian Whyte in April, 'The Gypsy King' and Francis Ngannou verbally agreed to fight one another in a mixed-rules matchup. However, Ngannou is still recovering from his knee injury issues and is unlikely to be able to fight until 2023.
Furthermore, since Ngannou is the reigning UFC heavyweight champion, it’s unclear whether the UFC would risk letting him face an elite pugilist like ‘The Gypsy King’ in the boxing ring.
Ngannou, for his part, is adamant that he won’t re-sign with the UFC unless they give him a pay raise and let him compete in the sport of boxing as well.
Francis Ngannou vs. Tyson Fury in a boxing ring with MMA gloves. Hybrid rules. That's the pitch. Wow. #FuryWhyte
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