"Tyson Fury got dropped by a small guy" - Mike Tyson believes Francis Ngannou's power will pose a serious threat to 'The Gypsy King'
Francis Ngannou is set to make his professional boxing debut when he faces Tyson Fury on October 28th in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Mike Tyson, who has been training 'The Predator' ahead of the bout, believes that the former UFC heavyweight champion has the power to pull off an upset.
During a recent appearance on The Jim Rome Show, the International Boxing Hall of Famer stated:
"Tyson Fury, he got dropped by a small guy, I forgot his name, [Cunningham], early in his career, and listen, this guy, punches like God knows who. He's an athlete, he moves quicker, I worked with his speed, and listen, he only has to land one or two. Tyson's never been in the ring with a guy that can punch this hard. I think this guy punches harder than anybody he's ever fought."
When asked what Ngannou needs to do to win the bout, 'Iron Mike' responded:
"He just needs to go all out aggression, punching to the body, bringing it to the head as we've been working with. He’s moving his head, he’s getting it together, and he’s really determined to do this stuff. He really wants to do this for his country, his people, his patriotic pride. This is really interesting. I’m very ecstatic about doing this."
Check out Mike Tyson's comments on Francis Ngannou below:
Tyson added that if Ngannou can win the bout, it would be a bigger upset than his first career loss, which came against Buster Douglas. He entered the bout as a 42-to-one favorite before being knocked out in the tenth round.
Mike Tyson gives a review of training with Francis Ngannou
Francis Ngannou has enlisted the help of Mike Tyson ahead of his professional boxing debut, which will pit him against Tyson Fury. During a recent appearance on the BBC 5 Live Boxing Podcast, 'Iron Mike' stated:
"Francis is picking up his endurance because this is what this fight is going to be about. It’s gonna be a war of attrition. We’re gonna keep Francis in good shape and constant punching because for this fight we’re gonna need constant activity. We’re working with Francis on that. He has great aptitude. He learns real quick. I appreciate that and I think he’s really gonna do more than what you guys are anticipating." [h/t BoxingScene]
While many have counted Ngannou out, Tyson believes that he has a chance to win the fight. 'The Predator' opened up as a massive +600 underdog.