"Would absolutely smash Tyson Fury" - Francis Ngannou backed to "destroy" Fury inside octagon by ex-UFC middleweight champion
Former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping warned Tyson Fury of what would happen if he faced Francis Ngannou in MMA.
On Friday, March 8, Ngannou looks to continue building momentum in professional boxing in a 10-round bout against Anthony Joshua. Before meeting in the ring, the heavyweights sat down for a pre-fight press conference to answer questions from the media.
Sitting in the front row of the press conference was Ngannou’s last opponent, Tyson Fury. Per usual, ‘The Gypsy King’ began talking trash to the former UFC heavyweight champion and the latter responded by saying:
“Your only chance is in the ring, the boxing ring, with boxing rules. When you step off that ring, you better stay five meters away before talking your sh*t because if I lose it, you’re gonna have a really bad time.”
Ngannou’s comments went viral and re-ignited the debate of MMA fighters being superior to professional boxers due to their grappling skills. During a video posted on his YouTube channel, Michael Bisping reacted to the altercation between ‘The Predator’ and Fury by saying:
“If it wasn’t for the boxing rules, yeah, Francis Ngannou would absolutely smash Tyson Fury. Tyson Fury, I’m a big fan of the guy, he’s got tons of charisma. He’s a tremendous boxer. Let’s be honest, if this was in the Octagon, Francis Ngannou would double-leg him, pick him up, put him down, and then destroy him. He is the baddest man out of them two, that’s for sure.”
Watch Ngannou call out Fury below:
What are the betting odds for Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou?
In October 2023, Francis Ngannou fought Tyson Fury and knocked down the WBC heavyweight champion before losing by split decision. Although he didn’t emerge victorious, Ngannou earned the respect of millions worldwide, leading to another high-paying boxing match against Anthony Joshua.
According to Bovada Sportsbook, Ngannou is listed as a +260 betting underdog, with Joshua as a -325 favorite.
Joshua suffered an all-time low in his professional boxing career after back-to-back losses against Oleksandr Usyk. Since then, ‘AJ’ has bounced back with three consecutive wins, including a fifth-round TKO against Otto Wallin in his last fight in December 2023.
Watch Bisping's reaction video below: