WATCH: Cristiano Ronaldo’s 200 Million-Dollar move to Saudi Arabia paves the way for the Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou showdown in Riyadh
Football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo paved the way for the Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou fight to manifest according to the former UFC champion.
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Cristiano Ronaldo and Francis Ngannou (image credits- IMAGO)
Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou will make his professional boxing debut in October after signing with the PFL. He will take on the WBC heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury, even though Ngannou was not a top boxing contender. The heavyweight crossover bout will headline the Mohammed Abdu Arena on the Boulevard in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Francis Ngannou vocally expressed dissatisfaction with his UFC contract. Subsequently, Ngannou left the UFC and signed with the PFL, hoping for a better opportunity and potentially fighting Fury. Furthermore, Ngannou stated meeting Cristiano Ronaldo last year solidified his upcoming eight-figure payday to fight Tyson Fury. Ngannou met Ronaldo last year when he visited Saudi Arabia, and pictures of them together went viral on social media. Subsequently, in an interview with TMZ, Ngannou said, “Yes, that’s where it started in that moment.”
Ngannou stated that his encounter with Ronaldo helped initiate talks with British boxing officials about a fight with Fury. When Ngannou met Ronaldo, he was in Saudi Arabia for a whopping $200 million deal after joining Al-Nassr FC. Both of them had a casual encounter where they gave each other respect and appreciated each other as athletes.
Hence, Ronaldo’s $200 million deal and his encounter with Ngannou last year indirectly paved the way for the Fury vs. Ngannou fight before the negotiations started. Furthermore, this fight will be Ngannou’s most profitable earnings; he has stated he will make more than his entire UFC career’s earnings.
Conor McGregor talks about Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou
Conor McGregor is one of the most well-known and prominent figures in combat sports. Furthermore, McGregor was also the highest-paid athlete on Forbes’ 2021 list. Hence, McGregor still has an immense fan base and remains relevant even though he is no longer an active fighter.
In an interview with Adam’s Apple, McGregor shared his thoughts on the former UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou’s fight against Fury. Most fans and fighting experts have stated that Fury would win because of his boxing skills and experience. However, McGregor stated that he thought anything could happen since it was a fight, and McGregor believed that Ngganou had a chance at winning.
However, many felt that Ngannou’s lack of experience inside a boxing ring would make him lose regardless of his punching power. Ngannou’s trainer and former heavyweight champion, Mike Tyson, felt that Ngannou would win and only had to land a few solid punches.
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Nidhin Shibu
(2536 Articles Published)