Current WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury is a massive -1300 favorite to beat former UFC champion Francis Ngannou when the two tangle in a non-title fight in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, October 28. It’s a battle reminiscent of the 2017 money grab crossover match between Floyd Mayweather and former UFC champ Conor McGregor. Fury is scheduled to defend his title in late December against Oleksandr Usyk, using this perhaps as a sparring session while making coin in the process.
With Ngannou making his professional debut inside the ring, he’s a huge underdog against the undefeated champion. But this is a fascinating matchup considering Ngannou has destroyed just about everybody he’s come in contact with inside the Octagon showing some boxing skill in the process. And not being a boxer he’ll give his opponent a different look while possessing enough power to drop anyone with a vicious punch. Still, Ngannou is a rookie taking on the master at +691 odds.
Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou Betting Odds
Tyson Fury -1300
Francis Ngannou +691
The 10-round heavyweight non-title clash between Tyson Fury ( 33-0-1, 24 KOs ) and Francis Ngannou ( pro debut ) will take place at Diriyah Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday, October 28, 2023 and will air on ESPN+ pay-per-view.
Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou Fight Preview
I think the only way Fury gets beat is by not taking his opponent seriously. And that’s a possibility since Ngannou is stepping into the boxing ring for his debut. The raw power of Ngannou shouldn’t be an issue for the champ since he’s faced a number of strong-armed boxers coming out victorious. Three times in his last seven bouts Fury squared off with Deontay Wilder, winning the WBC and The Ring heavyweight titles with a seventh round TKO in February. That came nearly two years after the pair battled to a split decision draw with Wilder retaining the belt.
The third fight was an immediate rematch of Fury’s victory with similar results. With a nearly 40 pound weight advantage, Fury dominated dropping Wilder three times during the contest, the last ending the fight in the 11th round. Despite his edge in size Fury took a number of blows and was sent to the canvas twice.
In a title fight against mandatory challenger Dillian Whyte, Fury defended his belt with a sixth round TKO, again punishing his opponent forcing the referee to stop the fight. In his post fight presser Fury said that was his last fight and in August 2022 he officially announced his retirement. However, that was short-lived since in October Fury said he was returning to defend his WBC title against Derek Chisora in a trilogy bout. Fury ended the fight with a 10th round TKO.
The power of Ngannou is nothing new to Fury with him facing bangers Wilder, Wladimir Klitschko and Otto Wallin among others. The key to victory is the different approach coming from a former cage fighter. Ngannou has battled behemoths in the past and his power approach from different angles and different arms is what could catch Fury off guard. At 6-9 Fury isn’t easy to reach, which is why he’s been so successful, and the ring is Fury’s playground.
With a whole new set of rules making the crossover from MMA to boxing isn’t easy. And going against a guy with 34 unbeaten fights, Fury has mastered every nuance of the ring, which explains the odds for this fight.
Bet Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou
It might be worth dropping a few bucks on Ngannou just in case he catches Fury off-guard. However, the reality is that the champ has the belt for a reason. While he isn’t the poster boy for boxing, Fury is and has been the best in his class for years. He knows how to box, can take punches and he delivers blows with the best of them. At 6-9 Fury can keep his opponent at a distance to avoid damage and continually throw jabs to wear Ngannou down. And Fury has experience against cage fighters beating Whyte, who was a kickboxer and mixed martial artist. Throwing down on Fury requires more specific betting to shorten the odds with the middle round KO market posting good numbers.
Boxing Odds Pick: Tyson Fury / (TKO)
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