Tyson Fury takes on MMA fighter Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia

Cameroon-born professional mixed martial artist Francis Ngannou will make his boxing debut against undefeated WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury as boxing and MMA collide.

The fight commonly referred to as “Battle of the Baddest” will take centre stage on Saturday, October 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Ngannou, a 37-year-old MMA fighter was a heavyweight UFC champion, but when his contract expired earlier this year, he signed with the upstart Professional Fighters League, which allowed him to compete in boxing where he could pocket more money than in UFC.

The Cameroonian is the former heavyweight UFC champion, while Fury has never lost any of his professional boxing fights to date including multiple world title bouts.

Ngannou, a former UFC heavyweight champion, is renowned for his striking skillset and is even officially listed as the world’s hardest puncher according to the Guinness Book of Records.

Fury, however, has survived the punches of the hardest-hitting heavyweight in modern times, Deontay Wilder, on three occasions.

Speaking to Queensberry Promotions, Fury believes that he has nothing to fear, citing his experiences against Wilder and knowing he can trade with hard-hitting punchers.

“I can stand and trade with anybody. I stood and traded with Wilder. I stood and traded with Wladimir [Klitschko]. I’ll stand and trade with this little bitch.”Related News

“I have beat the actual biggest puncher in boxing and knocked him out. So yeah, until he beats me, he can only ever dream about that record. The biggest puncher in combat sports is me.”

Ngannou, 37, won the UFC heavyweight championship with a victory over Stipe Miocic at UFC 260 in March 2021. He defended the belt against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 in January 2022. A year later, Ngannou left the UFC and signed with the PFL in a deal that allowed him to box as well.

According to Bloomberg, although the highly anticipated 10-round fight is not a title bout, it is a high-stakes matchup for Ngannou, who just made the switch from the UFC to the Professional Fighters League and stands to make 16 times as much money as in his most recent MMA fight.