Mixed martial artist Chael Sonnen attends the UFC 170 event at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on February 22, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Chael Sonnen calls Tyson Fury’s latest offer for Francis Ngannou the “dumbest idea in sports ever”
Tyson Fury, the boxing heavyweight champion, has already challenged Francis Ngannou to a prospective megafight. However, he did it again when the UFC heavyweight champion gave up his championship by refusing Dana White’s new contract offer. In contrast to White’s assertion that Ngannou wants to fight weaker opponents for more money, Ngannou’s actual circumstances are unrelated to this viewpoint. Ngannou will attempt to win significantly more money in various sports than Dana White ever promised him.
Fighting Tyson Fury would require former UFC champion Francis Ngannou to compete in a sport that is not his. If he enters the ring with champion Tyson Fury, he is certain to be ravaged. Fury is fully aware of this, and he provided Ngannou with an alternative solution. Fury is so sure in his abilities that he proposed unique conditions for this prospective mega-battle. Using four-ounce gloves and fighting in an octagon drew the attention of the whole combat sports community to Tyson Fury.
“Francis Ngannou, I know you’re out of contract with the UFC. Wanna earn some big boy money? Come see the Gypsy King. Let’s do a big, big fight for the baddest MF on the planet. Let’s kick it up spicy, in a cage, four-ounce gloves, under Queensberry [boxing rules], and let’s have a badass referee like Iron Mike Tyson. Did I just sell that to the world? If the contract doesn’t get signed with Usyk next for the fight of the century in boxing, then we’ll do the Ngannou fight. Whether it’s gonna be in Las Vegas or Wembley, who knows? We will know quite soon I think. If these fellas don’t come up and sign the contract for the big fight, then we’re moving on to greener pastures.”
Reacting to Tyson Fury’s offer on his YouTube channel, Chael Sonnen stated:
“Guys that are hot to fight to go out there and get it on your own, that have physical capabilities that other men can only dream of. But they don’t know how to go out there and get it on their own. They just don’t know how. I bring it to you because to watch Tyson Fury beg, it was surprising. I don’t want to call it disappointing. It was really close to calling it that, but I don’t want to call it that. So Tyson comes to us with perhaps the dumbest idea in sports history. He knows it is.”
Sonnen added:
“To watch a guy in that position that could command, that has the connections, that should’ve done this behind the scenes, should’ve been able to come out and make an announcement, instead lobby a joke to the world with pieces, it was just weird. Are you guys going to do it or not? If you’re going to do it, why do it in a cage? Why do it with four-once gloves? Why are you calling boxing Queensbury? Why don’t we make this real simple? Tell me that. Because then we’d have to do it. That’s why. We make it complex, so we can get out of doing it.”
Francis Ngannou has been embroiled in a protracted contract dispute with the UFC and its president, Dana White, as he seeks a new deal with significantly higher compensation. The Cameroonian star held the UFC heavyweight championship but was eyeing lucrative boxing bouts against Dillian Whyte and Tyson Fury, among others.
It was announced that Ngannou had officially left the UFC after failing to reach an agreement on a new contract, effectively relinquishing his heavyweight title. It is now anticipated that he will receive a multitude of offers from rival promotions, including the PFL and Bellator, who have both declared their intent to sign him.
Since entering the international combat sports scene in 2018, BKFC has signed numerous notable UFC athletes, including Diego Sanchez, Ben Rothwell, Paige VanZant, and Mike Perry. In addition, it has welcomed fighters to compete in one-offs, including Bellator welterweight contender Michael Page and former boxing champion Paulie Malignaggi. Feldman has expressed interest in signing current free agent Nate Diaz in recent months.
David Feldman, president of BKFC, has expressed optimism that Ngannou will grace the squared circle under their banner this year. The promotion is expected to submit a proposal for his services, and fans can expect to see him in the BKFC squared circle in 2023.
Ngannou has expressed multiple times his desire to pursue a career in the boxing ring, and has even asked for a clause to be added to any new UFC contract so he can negotiate fight deals in the sport. Ngannou is now required to consider his options in light of his uncertain future, which is unlikely to be resolved quickly.
Weighing in on the latest developments on Twitter, Arnold Allen wrote:
“Imagine Francis Ngannou bare knuckle 😅 10oz gloves is a scary thought as well actually, f**k that.”
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