Fury Vs. Ngannou To Be Announced, Jon Jones’ Next Fight Confirmed
Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou are reportedly set to make an official announcement over a fight.
Speculation has been emerging that Fury’s next fight could have been an MMA star after Frank Warren confirmed that the Gypsy King’s bout would be a ‘game changer.’
This was on the grounds that Fury had been linked with a fight with Ngannou and Jon Jones.
And now the reporter Ariel Helwani has confirmed that an announcement would be forthcoming.
“Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou is expected to be announced very soon, per sources,” Helwani said
Nevertheless, such news could have massive implications. This is not the fight that the boxing community was hoping for.
Talks over an undisputed fight with Oleksandr Usyk had captured the imagination of the public ever since the Ukrainian beat Anthony Joshua.
However, the failure to agree any terms dampened the division as fans had to wait longer for the first undisputed champion since 1999 when Lennox Lewis beat Evander Holyfield.
Francis Ngannou vs. Tyson Fury reportedly a done deal; Fury hints purse is 10-50x bigger than UFC https://t.co/b3i4lmvyJN
— Rob 49 fans and lovers (@Rob4983767396) July 9, 2023
Not only that, but there will be question marks over whether Fury should be stripped of his WBC title.
After all, Deontay Wilder and Andy Ruiz Jr. cannot agree on a bout for the WBC interim title, which on top of the news about Fury, is holding the division up.
In addition, it is not clear if a Fury-Ngannou fight is an official bout or an exhibition. Either way, both would not sit well with the public.
A defence against Ngannou would be a painful blow to the other members in the division waiting for a title shot. Meanwhile, an exhibition would almost confirm that a fight with Usyk is still some way off.
Clearly, an exhibition would not be the ideal preparation for facing a former undisputed cruiserweight and current unified heavyweight champion.
Regardless of what the case may be, former MMA star Brendan Schaub has not been best pleased.
“So what’s the point? So there’s no knockdowns, no real fighting. That’s also the worst thing you could do – it would be an awful mistake for Francis man. When you leave the UFC and hope you get a big fight. Doing a fake boxing match – it’s going to turn all fight fans off.
“Honestly, I would rather watch Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg fight,” Schaub stated
Jon Jones’ Next Fight
In contrast, Jon Jones’ next fight has also been confirmed, ruling out a fight with Fury. Jones will face Stipe Miocic at UFC 295 on November 11th, 2023, Madison Square Garden, New York City.
Jones is in good form, having become the UFC heavyweight champion after beating Ciryl Gane in a first-round submission.
What was more impressive was the fact that ‘Bones’ had been away from the octagon for three years. And in the process of doing so, Jones had the most wins in the UFC when it came to title fights at 15.
Jon Jones is set to defend his UFC heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic at UFC 295 on November 11 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, Dana White announced Friday. pic.twitter.com/4Pp8hKNEHI
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) July 7, 2023
Ngannou’s departure from the UFC, along with Jones’ return, led to speculation that the pair could eventually fight each other.
Although there is still time for this to happen, if Ngannou somehow made his way back to the UFC, Jones’ eye is now on Miocic.
The fight with Miocic had been a long time coming, as Jones accused the MMA star of ducking him since his win over Gane.
“Yo @stipemiocic only you the UFC and I know the truth, you dodged me all of 2022 – July, September & December. Now I’m hearing rumors that we may not be fighting this July.
“Bro it’s simple, either you believe in yourself or you don’t. Either you want this challenge or you don’t. Stop wasting everyone’s time,” Jones
In contrast, Miocic offered a different narrative, suggesting that he was confident over a victory.
“Nothing’s gonna change. I’m gonna train my ass off and beat that ass. Good for him. Hey, he won [Gane]. I’ll see him in July. They’re all big boys at heavyweight. Not that much to say. It is what it is,” Miocic
But now that it is happening, Miocic has a lot to overcome if he wants to come out victorious.
Miocic (20-4) has not entered the octagon since he was beaten by Ngannou in 2021. Although that may have been the case, prior to that loss, Miocic was on a good run of form.
Back to back wins over Daniel Cormier were impressive, until Ngannou put an end to all of that.
And given that he is 40 years of age, Miocic is the underdog coming into this fight. In reality, Fury, Ngannou and Jones are at a crossroads when it comes to their careers.
But if they manage to beat their opponents in style, then there is no reason why a fight with Jones involving Fury or Ngannou cannot happen.
But for now, none of them can afford to look ahead too much. You can stay up-to-date with the latest happenings in the world of boxing and MMA by visiting boxingblitz right here.
