Tyson Fury pauses trash talk and bows down to Francis Ngannou's 'struggle' in a wholesome moment at press conference
Tyson Fury recently gave his usual pre-fight trash-talking a break and wholeheartedly commended Francis Ngannou for valiantly overcoming the difficult hurdles life threw at him. Fury is set to welcome Ngannou to the world of professional boxing on October 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
While Ngannou is undoubtedly one of the most popular combat sports personalities today, 'The Predator' had to endure extreme adversity to get to where he is today. His journey from being a youngster working hard in Cameroonian sand mines to becoming a UFC heavyweight champion is undeniably awe-inspiring.
After leaving the UFC earlier this year, Francis Ngannou made no secret of his intention to fight a top-ranked boxer like Tyson Fury in the squared circle next. After several months of uncertainty, both fighters signed the contract and announced they would compete in a non-title bout under professional boxing rules.
The build-up to their fight has been marked by Fury brutally trash-talking Ngannou to hype up their fight. However, during their recent pre-fight press conference, 'The Gypsy King' paused his promotional talk and praised Ngannou for overcoming his struggles. He said:
"I take my hat off to Francis for his story and where he's come from and the fight, the grind, the determination, and everything he's put into it to get to where he is today. He was just a young boy in Africa with a big dream... I never laugh at anybody because I know the man's struggle."
Boxing promoter Bob Arum on Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou
The co-founder and CEO of Top Rank boxing promotion, Bob Arum, recently spoke on the highly anticipated Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou boxing match.
Given Fury's professional resume and status as the reigning WBC heavyweight champion, many believe this bout to be a walk in the park for the Brit. However, Arum is of the opinion that 'The Gypsy King' could find himself in the ring with a dangerous opponent similar to Deontay Wilder.
In a recent interview with Boxing News+, Bob Arum was asked if Francis Ngannou was as dangerous as Deontay Wilder for Fury. He replied:
"Obviously, Deontay has trained his whole life as a boxer so he had that in his favor. But it’s the same type of danger that Tyson Fury faces fighting Ngannou as when he fought Deontay Wilder." (h/t boxingscene.com)
Francis Ngannou is widely seen as one of the world's hardest-hitting punchers and gained considerable notoriety for his devastating knockouts in the UFC octagon. Similarly, Wilder has a reputation for being the hardest-hitting puncher in all of boxing today. However, 'The Bronze Bomber' lost two of his fights against Tyson Fury with one draw result.