By Adam Baskin: Top Rank promoter Bob Arum says the fight he wants to make is for Tyson Fury to face UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou in a match-up that he says would be “huge.”
The idea is for Fury to face Ngannou in a hybrid exhibition boxing match, and then fight the winner of the August 20th rematch between IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua.
Arum says the 35-year-old Ngannou is still healing from an injury, but he would still like to match the fight between him and Fury (32-0-1, 23 KOs) next.
For the fight to happen, Arum would either need to do it with the UFC involved or not take part, depending on Ngannou’s contract with them.
No one is under the illusion that the 6’4″ Ngannou could beat Fury in a boxing match, but depending on the rules, he could have a chance of beating him if things like kicks were allowed.
If there are MMA tactics involved, Fury might want to think hard before taking this fight because he could get injured.
He wants to fight the winner of the Anthony Joshua vs. Oleksandr Usyk rematch later this year, but that plan would need to be delayed until 2023 if he takes the match against Ngannou.
“The MMA guy [Francis Ngannou] is still recovering from an injury, but I would love to do that fight,” said Bob Arum to Fight Hub TV about his desire to make Tyson Fury vs. Ngannou next.
“Depending on Ngannou’s contract with the UFC, we need to do it with or without the UFC, but that would be a huge, huge event,” Arum continued.
“Sure, I’m interested. Who wouldn’t be? Ngannou is the heavyweight champion of the UFC, and Tyson Fury, I think it would be a huge, huge event.
“He didn’t say dollars. Maybe he was talking pesos,” said Arum when told that Fury has been asking for 500 billion for him to come out of retirement.
“That’s up to Tyson. He’s a very intelligent guy and has a lot of opportunities outside of boxing. For a guy like Tyson, you take it one step at a time.
“So I’m optimistic without discussing it with him, sometime down the road, he’ll fight the winner of Joshua-Usyk, which I hope is Usyk, and he’ll fight Ngannou and maybe call it a day.
“I know he loves training and loves being in the ring, so that’s a plus,” said Arum.
