British UFC heavyweight Tom Aspinall is looking forward to seeing the champion in his division step into the boxing ring. As Aspinall pointed out on The MMA Hour, the long-rumored crossover superfight between Francis Ngannou and Tyson Fury is closer than one might be led to believe – albeit with an altered ruleset.
“Who doesn’t want to see that? I want to see it with MMA gloves, because I actually believe — usually I’m rooting for Tyson and of course I would be in this one, but if Francis hits with them little gloves, he is so dangerous.
Tom Aspinall: Ngannou Vs Fury “Closer Than People Might Think”
He’s very unorthodox and I think that if Fury was going to lose to anyone in boxing, it would have been [Deontay] Wilder because he’s so unorthodox. And I think a similar kind of thing with Francis. And if you alter the rules slightly and put Tyson with the smaller gloves, I think it’s a little bit closer than people might think.”
Boxing/MMA crossover events are nothing new. Having said that, nothing has really reached the lofty heights of the Mayweather vs McGregor fight a few years back. With Tyson Fury claiming retirement, and Francis Ngannou battling the UFC over his existing contract, this heavyweight clash could prove to be the biggest combat sports event of the decade.
It’s clear that Tyson Fury has an advantage when boxing, as he is widely considered one of the greatest heavyweights alive. In fact, “The Gypsy King” might well be one of the greatest heavyweights of all time. It’s a rare man that dwarfs 6 ft 4 in Francis Ngannou, but Tyson Fury, at a towering 6 feet and nine inches tall, is one of them.
Both fighters’ ample frames bely their impressive mobility, and both are notoriously powerful punches, with Ngannou holding the world record for the most powerful punch on the planet. With smaller MMA-style gloves, this is what Tom Aspinall says makes a huge difference:
““[Fury] would steamroll Francis, but I would give Francis a fair shot. I wouldn’t be surprised either way. With them small gloves and Francis hits like an absolute truck, so you never know. You never know with them little gloves on because it’s different, it’s way different with the small gloves.”
Tom Aspinall is currently ranked no. 7 in the UFC heavyweight rankings, and is set to take on Curtis Blaydes at the upcoming UFC London event in July. He may be a while off fighting for the championship, by which time Francis Ngannou could well have moved on.
Do you agree with Tom Aspinall? Let us know in the comments.
