Fury vs Ngannou Betting Odds & Fight Preview

by Luke Andrews, 28 July 2023

A clash of two giants with incredible strengths from two professions will battle in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The undefeated boxing star Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou, who has the world record for the strongest punch in the world, will be a ten-round non-title encounter with hybrid rules on 28th October. Although boxing fans would arguably prefer Fury to face Usyk or AJ, there will still be plenty of interest in this fight. Join us as I preview the fight and share the latest Fury v Ngannou odds.

The Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou fight for what they have jokingly termed; ‘the baddest man in the world’ is expected to be one of the most intriguing fights. The two heavyweights are real-life giants, with the Gypsy king being slightly heavier than his challenger, who has a more potent striking force.

On paper, the fight favours Fury, who has had a lifetime of experience in the boxing ring. In contrast, the Predator, who desired to be a boxer when he started his professional career, will have a taste of the ring against the best boxer in the world. The bout will be popular with boxing betting fans, can the power puncher cause an upset?

The fight will not reach the hype of the Floyd Mayweather vs Conor McGregor fight but poses a unique aspect. The Fury vs Ngannou clash will be a slug fest with the two massive athletes going at each other. I expect more caution, especially from Fury, who, despite his physique, has excellent movements and evasive techniques. Ngannou, who has the artillery, would hope he doesn’t get worn out firing his power punches and intensively work on his movements as the MMA doesn’t have intense use of feet but more of submissions and handwork.

There have been a lot of controversies surrounding the fight, with many fighters, including Oleksandr Usyk, questioning the Gypsy King’s decision to fight a non-boxer when he could have picked any of the top ten ranked fighters to face him. In what has been termed a cowardly move, however, they are hardly likely to mind as the financial implications of the fight are mesmerising. And although fight purists may hate the idea of what is basically an exhibition bout, the contest will attract the attention of both MMA fans and boxing enthusiasts.

Mike Tyson would love to train Francis Ngannou against Tyson Fury pic.twitter.com/tYaQF6Heen

— calfkicker (@calfkickercom) July 25, 2023

The contest will take place in a boxing ring with three ringside judges, but at the time of writing, it is still undecided whether it will count toward their professional boxing records. I’ll provide a full review of the Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou battle, an in-depth view of both fighters’ careers, an analysis of the fighting styles and then a look at the UK bookies with the best odds.

Fury vs Ngannou – Tyson Fury’s Career

First, let’s look at Tyson Fury’s career, highlighting some great moments, and matches starting from his amateur years. He is still undefeated, with his worst result being a draw which is quite a remarkable feat putting him in the conversation of the greatest-ever boxer.

Fury was named after American boxer Mike Tyson followed in his namesake’s footsteps to become one of the most respectable boxers of all time. He became the third heavyweight to win the Ring Magazine two times in the company of legendary Muhammed Ali and Floyd Patterson. He has had his hands on the unified WBC title and ended 2022 ranked as the top active heavyweight by ESPN BoxRec. The maestro is undefeated in his lucrative career, accumulating to thirty-two fights and tainted by just one draw against Deontay Wilder.

He represented Ireland and England as an amateur and won the ABA super-heavyweight title in 2008 before becoming professional in the same year. He debuted as a professional boxer against Bela Gyongyosi, knocking him out in the first round at the National Ice Centre.

Tyson Fury had his first title bout in his second year as a professional, where he beat John McDermott to win the English heavyweight title. He repeated the same fate in June 2010 at the same arena reclaiming the then-vacant English heavyweight title by knocking out McDermott in the ninth round.

The fight Tyson Fury should have lost? You decide! | Tyson Fury vs John McDermott | Full Fight https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W61uP2Pftm4 pic.twitter.com/meptiXQR0G

— Boxing Videos (@boxingvideoscom) March 30, 2020

In July 2011, Fury faced Derek Chisora at the Wembley Arena for the English and Commonwealth heavyweight titles, which he won by a unanimous decision. he defended his Commonwealth title against Neven Pajkic at Event City, winning by a technical knockout in the third round. In April 2012, the Gypsy King took to the Odyssey Arena in Ireland against Martin Rogan, winning by a technical knockout for the vacant Irish heavyweight title. In July 2012, he had his shot at the vacant WBO Inter-continental heavyweight title at the Hand Arena in England, which he won via technical knockout in the fifth round against Vinny Maddalone.

The Gypsy King was now a force to be reckoned with and had his shot at the WBO International heavyweight title and the European heavyweight title. In November 2014, he stepped into the ExCeL in London against Derek Chisora, who retired in the tenth round. Fury became the European, WBO International and the vacant British heavyweight titles. The maestro faced Christian Hammer at the 02 Arena to defend his WBO International heavyweight title, which he did so successfully, with his challenger retiring in the eighth round, bowing out of the intense, action-packed match.

Tyson Fury faced Ukrainian Wladimir Klitschko in Espirit Arena, Germany, in November 2015, winning unanimously to secure the WBA (Super), WBO, IBF, IBO, and the Ring Heavyweight titles. After twenty-seven career wins, Fury finally failed to win, drawing against Deantay Wilder on December 2018 in a split decision at Staples Centre in California. In his next fight, he beat Tom Schwarz by a technical knockout in the second round in June 2019 to win the WBO Inter-continental title.

Now at the peak of his career, Fury faced Wilder, the only fighter he had failed to beat in the ring since he became professional, in a fierce two-match treat that shocked the boxing world. In the first of the two, Fury started strongly dominating the ring and firing some powerful jabs looking for a knockout, and in the third round, he floored his challenger with a solid right to the temple. Wilder once again hit the floor in the fifth, receiving quick combinations followed by a left hook to the body, and, in what looked like a punishment midway into the seventh, Wilder’s team threw in the white flag. Fury won the Ring heavyweight title for the second time at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in the US. A dominant performance saw the Gypsy King become the first boxer to win against two champions with ten or more world championship defences (Wilder, ten defences, and Klitschko, eighteen defences).

In the second encounter, Wilder activated the clause for a rematch which was a more intense fight that saw five knockdowns and lasted eleven rounds. The challenger started brightly, taking lessons from the first fight and winning the first round but was the first to drop in the second round. Fury had a taste of the canvas twice in the fourth round but managed to keep up with the second drop coming effectively close to the end, giving him enough time to recover. The fourth knockdown came in the tenth round with Wilder badly hurt and exhausted was finished off in the eleventh round with a clean right hook to retain his title.

Fury then faced Dillian Whyte on April 2022 at Wembley Stadium and managed to defend his title, beating his challenger by a technical knockout with the match lasting six rounds. In his most recent professional boxing match and third successful title defence, he defeated Derek Chisora at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium via technical knockout in a ten rounds battle in December 2022.

Tyson Fury calls out Francis Ngannou after fighting Reel knockout in his fight against Dillian Whyte, which started this whole frenzy for the battle.

Fury vs Ngannou – Francis Ngannou’s Career

In this section, let’s look at Francis Ngannou’s career, starting from his early years and his interests in boxing. We then look at his record and some of the landmark fights of his career that build up momentum to this bout.

Francis Zavier Ngannou is a thirty-six-year-old professional mixed martial artist. He recently retired from the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), leaving on a high note as the reigning Champion to sign a deal with the Professional Fighters League (PFL). The Cameroon-born athlete moved to Paris to pursue boxing like his renowned street fighter father. He was diverted to join the MMA as Fernand Lopez saw his potential to excel in the field. He began his career in the MMA in 2013, compiling a record of 5 – 1 and signed for the UFC IN December 2015.

He has an impressive Mixed martial arts record of twenty fights with seventeen wins (twelve knockouts, four submissions, and one by decisions) and three defeats, all of the defeats by decision. he has never been knocked down, which could be a positive factor to carry into the boxing match hoping he can whether the ferociousness of the ring in taking direct shots.

Ngannou won his debut against knocking in the second round Luis Henrique in Paris to set up an impressive UFC career. He lost his second fight against Zoumana Cisse by a unanimous decision but won ten consecutive contests after that. He won Performance of the Night in December 2016 when he beat Anthony Hamilton via submission (kimura) in Albany, his first accolade. In Denver, he won his second consecutive Performance of the night against Andrei Arlovski by TKO (punches) on January 2017.

Francis Ngannou no kickboxing, em 2015. pic.twitter.com/4hwVc9Cp5f

— MMA Melotto (@MMAmelotto) July 24, 2023

The impressive performances kept him in contention for the UFC title, but first, he had to go through Alistair Overeem in the UFC heavyweight title eliminator scheduled in December 2017. He won the fight by a knockout (punch) in Detroit and got his shot for the title. In his first title bout in Boston on January 2018 against Stipe Moicic, he lost unanimously after going back and forth for the entire five rounds. He lost the next match, the first and only time in his career he recorded consecutive defeats once again by a unanimous decision in Las Vegas against Derrick Lewis.

The maestro redeemed himself against Curtis Blaydes in Beijing, China, via technical knockout (punches) in the first round, with the match lasting just forty seconds. The incredible performances granted him his hat trick of performances of the night and set him on a six-match winning streak. In seventy seconds, he won consecutive performances of the night, first on June 2019 against Junior dos Santos by technical knockout (punches) in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He then knocked out Jarzinho Rozenstruik in twenty seconds in Florida on May 2020.

Francis Ngannou’s career finally peaked when he finally won the UFC Heavyweight Championship, knocking out (punch) Stipe Miocic in the second round in Las Vegas on March 2021 and winning the Performance of the Night as well. In his final bout, he defended and unified the UFC Heavyweight Championship beating Ciryl Gane by a unanimous decision on January 2022. He bowed out of the UFC in style after disagreeing with the terms of a new contract.

Fury vs Ngannou – Analysis of the Upcoming Fight

Let’s have an in-depth look into the fight.

The upcoming match between Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou is anticipated to be a balanced showdown between two exceptional fighters. Tyson Fury, the heavier of the two, contrasts with Francis Ngannou, who boasts the strongest punch worldwide. Fury’s superior head movements and extensive boxing ring experience may pose a challenge for Ngannou, who is known for his powerful punches. Ngannou may need to trade power for speed in his strategy to land successful hits on Fury.

Despite Ngannou’s skills, boxing is not his primary domain. He will need to quickly adapt to the boxing ring, a stark departure from the familiar Octagon he’s used to. His lack of boxing experience and underdeveloped footwork, with limited time for improvement before the match, could put him at a disadvantage.

Another concern is Ngannou’s stamina over twelve rounds, a significant change from his usual UFC bouts. Transitioning directly into a boxing match against the undefeated champion, Tyson Fury, could feel like a daunting challenge he’s set for himself.

Deontay Wilder, despite having knocked Tyson Fury down twice in a previous match, may not compare to the formidable Ngannou, renowned for his knockout prowess. While the technical aspects of boxing may not favour Ngannou, his combat experience could potentially tip the scales against Fury. The Gypsy King, acknowledging Ngannou’s athletic prowess, has even included a rematch clause should the world-record puncher land a decisive blow. This may indicate that Tyson is rightly worried that a well-placed shot could put him on the canvas.

“In the heavyweight division, one punch can make the difference. Expect Fury to dance around the ring and use the jab, but the mere fact that Tyson has inserted a rematch clause tells me that he is worried about Ngannou’s powerful punch.” – Luke Andrews, Betting Expert – UK Market.

Typically, matches between boxers and MMA fighters occur when the boxers are retired or nearing the end of their careers. However, the Gypsy King enters this fight in his prime. His last fight was in December of the previous year, making him arguably more prepared and in better shape than Ngannou, whose last competitive match was in January. This may seem like a minor difference, but the preparation Ngannou needs to undertake for this fight is immense in boxing.

Ngannou, known as the Predator, is used to UFC matches that last five rounds. In contrast, a boxing match consists of twelve three-minute rounds. While Ngannou’s stamina for five-minute rounds could be an advantage, his endurance will be tested if the fight extends to the complete twelve rounds.

Odds for the Fury vs Ngannou Fight

The Tyson Fury odds to win are set at 1/10 with bet365, and he is the outright favourite. Ngannou’s odds to win are set at 6/1, which means the Cameroonian is a heavy underdog. The draw is priced at 25/1, which is highly unlikely given the aggressive nature of both fighters and the strength they pose.