Ngannou Deserves A Fury Rematch – Says Top Rank’s Todd DuBoef
Todd DuBoef, the Top Rank president, feels Francis Ngannou has done enough to secure a rematch with Tyson Fury.
In a performance that silenced his critics, the former UFC heavyweight champion troubled Fury in their bout on October 28, 2023. Ngannou was making his boxing debut but defied the odds by dropping Fury in round three with a pinpoint left hook. He continued to walk forward and backed Fury up, who scraped through with a split-decision win.
The result divided the fight community, with some believing Ngannou had won. The MMA fighter called for a rematch, but Fury chose to sign an undisputed fight with Oleksandr Usyk. That forced Ngannou to move his focus, as he wanted to rematch Fury after the undisputed fight. Now DuBoef stated he has earned that shot.
DuBoef On Ngannou
“That’s an earned ability to get the rematch. He earned that. His performance dictated that [people think:] ‘Woah, he has a chance. We never thought he had a chance’ and in that situation I think absolutely. I think Tyson is regretful.
“He blamed himself. [And] he thought he had an off night. He said: ‘I took it lightly. It was all on me.’ Didn’t point fingers, which was good. Ngannou outperformed anybody’s expectation and as a result of that you have all the components to say, hey, I want to see this again and that creates and warrants a rematch,” DuBoef said
A few obstacles still need navigating before this becomes a reality. Fury has a rematch clause with Usyk, so an Ngannou fight would likely occur afterwards. There is also the question of whether Fury decides to retire and walk away from the sport. A win over Usyk would aid that process since he would have nothing else to prove in the sport.
Ngannou’s Options
Ngannou could also consider other options. He was in talks with Deontay Wilder over a two-fight deal, one in MMA and another in boxing. Following Wilder’s loss to Joseph Parker, he has to rebuild himself. A mega-fight with Ngannou could grab people’s attention.
And yet, there is also the question of Ngannou’s MMA future. He is expected to make his PFL debut in 2024 under MMA, giving him the chance to do that if the Fury fight does not happen. Either way, it depends on how Fury looks in the undisputed fight.
“I think it’s a special moment in February when we get all the heavyweight titles together. I think that we’re talking about two world class heavyweights that will hopefully put on an incredible performance and if it’s that good of a fight then it warrants a rematch. It shouldn’t be something that should be dictated prior to seeing what the first fight is. Let’s hope that they put on such a great fight that it warrants a rematch,” DuBoef
Ngannou has put himself in the position for the biggest fights. And there is no getting away from that. ‘Find all the latest boxing news and MMA breaking updates on boxingnews.com’
