October 28th will mark a historical day in combat sports and entertainment when the current WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, “The Gypsy King,” faces off against former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia. This fight will be the spectacular opening of this years’ Riyadh Season, one of the world’s largest entertainment festivals that welcomes visitors from across the globe. The two fighters met face-to-face for the first time at the Outernet in London on 7th September, in front of a packed press conference, with thousands online watching via live stream, as they prepare to step into the ring to fight next month.

The bout will take place under official Queensberry rules over ten rounds. While Fury’s WBC title is not on the line, this fight will go on both men’s records as an official bout, sanctioned by the WBC as a special event.

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The fight between Fury and Ngannou will mark the second time a UFC champion will compete against a boxing world champion, the first being when Conor McGregor took on Floyd Mayweather in 2017. When Tyson Fury knocked out Dillian Whyte in April of 2022, Fury wasted no time and called out, then-promotional free agent and MMA megastar, Francis Ngannou to stand across him in the ring. Fury has accomplished almost everything in professional boxing and would not turn down the opportunity to put together one of the biggest fights in the sport’s history. During Riyadh Season in Saudi Arabia, both men have a chance to shine on the world’s biggest stage.

A champion of fighting through adversity, Ngannou is used to being the underdog. Raised in poverty, Ngannou had worked in quarries since he was 10. His aspiration had always been to become a boxing world champion, and at the age of 26, Ngannou understood he would need to leave his hometown in Cameroon to realize his dreams. Fourteen months later, Ngannou finally made it to Europe and was ready to work. Francis experienced a quick rise to the top in the world of mixed martial arts, knocking out anyone who would stand across from him. However, championship-level boxing was always in the back of his mind. Prior to signing with MMA promotion PFL, The Professional Fighters League, Francis Ngannou made his intentions to fight the world’s best boxers very clear. The deal he signed gave him executive and equity ownership over PFL Africa and the freedom to pursue professional boxing.

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Ngannou now finds himself in a position he’s dreamt of his entire life, and he is not taking this opportunity lightly. If standing across from the 6’4″, 265-pound Francis Ngannou wasn’t a scary enough sight, Ngannou has also enlisted the help of his hero and the most feared man in boxing, Mike Tyson, as a training advisor. While this may be Ngannou’s first professional boxing bout, his pure power will ensure this fight will be exciting from start to finish.

Many have criticized Fury for taking this fight. However, it’s easy to forget the battle Fury had to get back in the ring after the crowning moment of his career. Having battled with weight gain and serious mental health issues, stepping into the ring seemed like nothing more than a dream. However, Fury battled back from near-impossible odds and ended his three-year retirement. The ‘Gypsy King’ not only returned to the ring, he once again climbed to the top, proving to the world that he could do anything he set his mind to. Having faced all that he has, Fury finds himself once again on the verge of history.

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The future Hall of Famer and one of the greatest heavyweights ever has seemingly done it all throughout his long career. This will be an opportunity for Fury to put the sport of boxing on his shoulders and showcase his skills against another superstar athlete. This fight will also allow him to put on a show before another highly anticipated super fight – a unification bout with Oleksandr Usyk, to determine the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. Wins against Ngannou and Usyk will solidify Fury as one of the greatest to step foot in the ring.

This Battle of the Baddest is a can’t miss fight. History will be made on October 28th at Riyadh Season. Two of the most skilled combat sports athletes will go toe to toe in an all-action 10-round professional boxing match, with the winner declared the baddest man on the planet.