‘I’d smoke you in the first round’: Fury escalates spat with UFC champ Ngannou after row which dragged in Mike Tyson
World heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury has responded to jibes from UFC equivalent Francis Ngannou, as part of a spat which the name of Mike Tyson has been dragged into.
Bad blood between the pair was sparked after Ngannou dethroned Stipe Miocic at UFC 260 and became the ruler of his division.
Complimented for his pugilism in the revenge bout against the Croatian, which was finished by a brutal second round KO, Ngannou was asked by TMZ if he fancied a switch to the squared circle one day.
“Absolutely,” he confirmed. “I’m open to that. Remember: boxing was my primary dream, and I still have the fire, the dream inside me, and I believe at some point I’m gonna make a step."
Tyson Fury called Francis Ngannou "easy work," so the UFC heavyweight champ posed a hypothetical 👀 @ESPNRingside (via @Tyson_Fury, @francis_ngannou) pic.twitter.com/IxkXnsYygd
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) April 13, 2021
“I don’t want to fight Mike Tyson," he added. "but I would like to fight another heavyweight boxer such as Tyson Fury.”
A busy boy in Las Vegas this week, where he has already dropped by the Top Rank gym to tune up for a superfight against Anthony Joshua, the Mancunian has finally responded to 'The Predator's'remarks.
Tagging all three men in his outburst on Twitter, Fury told Mike Tyson: "After I smash Anthony Joshua, I'll roast that guy also."
"Francis Ngannou, easy work," he wrote, alongside a photo of Iron Mike and the rising MMA star.
Much quicker to bite the bait, Ngannou mocked Fury through a snap of 'The Gyspy King' with a cut eye after facing Otto Wallin in 2019.
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Later, Fury insisted Ngannou "would do absolutely nothing" and that he'd "smoke" him in the first round if they ever met.
A subsequent debate divided combat sport fans.
"He is basically a cruiserweight with windmill arms, of course you will [roast him]," came one response to Fury.
"He cuts weight to make the UFC heavyweight limit and is the most technical boxer in the heavyweight division. Educate yourself," replied another user, in Ngannou's defense.
I like how all the mma guys are willing to box but no boxer is willing to step into an octagon. Shows why mma champions especially Ngannou are known as the baddest men on the planet.
— Sicko Sports (@SickoSports) April 13, 2021
"I like how all the MMA guys are willing to box but no boxer is willing to step into an octagon," pointed out a punter.
"Shows why MMA champions especially Ngannou are known as the baddest men on the planet," he concluded.
Wherever the bout takes place, if it ever comes to fruition, it is certain to have mass crossover appeal and prove highly lucrative for the fighters, UFC supremo Dana White and his overlords, plus White's Top Rank counterpart Bob Arum.
