Francis Ngannou and Mike Tyson
Francis Ngannou and Mike Tyson discuss MMA GOAT
Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou has heaped praise on the current titleholder, Jon Jones, hailing him as the greatest fighter in mixed martial arts history. Ngannou, who never lost his world title but was stripped of it due to contract disputes with the UFC, acknowledged Jones’s exceptional achievements.
Jones, a legendary light-heavyweight champion, moved up to the heavyweight division and claimed the title, becoming a rare two-weight world champion. As Ngannou prepares for his upcoming boxing debut against WBC champion Tyson Fury, he openly admitted that Jones holds the status of the sport’s greatest-ever fighter.
Despite his admiration for Jones, Ngannou expressed his eagerness to face the American fighter. The two had a face-off at Ngannou’s new promotion, the Professional Fighters League (PFL), in Atlanta earlier this June. Ngannou believes that defeating Jones in a potential bout would be crucial to solidifying his own legacy.
During an appearance on Complex’s GOAT Talk series alongside his new coach, Mike Tyson, Ngannou was asked about MMA’s greatest fighter. Tongue-in-cheek, he initially suggested himself, but Tyson chimed in with his perspective: “There’s so many of them I like, Jon Jones. Khabib [Nurmagomedov]. There’s a lot of great ones coming up. New guys. I have to go with Jon Jones because of all the adversity and all he went through and he still managed to become champ.” Ngannou concurred, emphasizing Jones’s extraordinary skills and his desire to face him in the future.
Ngannou’s admiration for Jon Jones reflects the profound impact Jones has had on the sport, and the potential clash between these two heavyweight titans remains a tantalizing prospect for MMA fans worldwide.
Legendary boxer Mike Tyson has thrown his weight behind former UFC champion Francis Ngannou, suggesting that Ngannou’s upcoming boxing clash against Tyson Fury could yield surprising results. In an interview on The Jim Rome Show, Tyson compared the impending battle to his own infamous upset loss to Buster Douglas.
Ngannou, making his boxing debut, is set to challenge WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury on October 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Tyson believes that Ngannou’s sheer power and athleticism could prove to be a game-changer in the fight, leading to a potentially bigger upset than his own shocking defeat to Douglas.
Tyson emphasized that the combat sports world should consider the precedent set by UFC star Conor McGregor, who managed to go 10 rounds against boxing legend Floyd Mayweather. If McGregor could hold his ground against one of the greatest boxers of all time, Tyson argues, there’s no reason why Ngannou can’t give Fury a run for his money.
Working together on Tyson’s podcast, Hotboxin’, Tyson witnessed Ngannou’s qualities firsthand and expressed his excitement about the fight. Ngannou’s boxing-first background in the MMA world combined with his raw power, according to Tyson, makes him a formidable contender in the crossover match.
As Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou gear up for their monumental clash, the fight is generating intrigue and discussion within the combat sports community, as the lines between boxing and MMA continue to blur in unprecedented ways.
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