UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou has made no secret of his intention to box Tyson Fury. So far, the main obstacle to this occurring has been his UFC contract and a pesky knee injury sustained defending the title against Ciryl Gane. However, former UFC heavyweight champ Junior dos Santos pointed out another issue for Ngannou on the Trocação Franca podcast: Ngannou’s limited boxing.
“I don’t honestly think, based on his last performance [vs. Ciryl Gane], that he would have much success in boxing.
Junior Dos Santos: Ngannou’s “Limited Technique” Will Prevent Boxing Success
Aside from his technique being a bit limited in the way he moves … boxing isn’t just punching, it’s movement, how where you stand and how you walk. Tyson Fury is a gigantic man who moves really well. We saw in [Ngannou’s] last fight that he would’ve lost to Gane if he’d stayed on his feet, so he was smart enough to decide to show his ground game.
I see [Ngannou] being quite limited for the boxing world.” Dos Santos continued, pointing out that Tyson Fury, the undefeated lineal heavyweight boxing champion, is an elite fighter who has faced tougher opposition in the ring.
“We’re talking about the guy who beat everybody. Tyson Fury, super tough, gigantic.
And as for the punching power, Tyson Fury fought Deontay Wilder, who hits like a truck. [Wilder’s] punch is a demolisher. Maybe Ngannou has as much knockout power, maybe a bit more or maybe a bit less, we don’t really know, especially with big gloves.
Ngannou doesn’t have Deontay’s level of boxing. I foresee a complicated fight, but, of course, a fight is a fight and Ngannou has what everybody likes to see: Knockout power. He lands — brother, it’s over. Especially at heavyweight, when all that matters is one hand landing. If it lands well, you go down.”
Junior dos Santos is not optimistic that the fight will even take place, considering Ngannou’s contract dispute with the UFC. The champ might have been better off losing to Ciryl Gane, preventing the “champion clause” in his contract from activating and keeping Ngannou in the organization.
“He should have lost [to Gane] then! From what I’ve heard, Ngannou could have made way more money, millions even, in his last fight, but it was his decision not to re-sign because his plan is to box Tyson Fury. That would be exceptional for him, because in boxing, financially speaking, when you become champion or fight at the top, you can make a portion of pay-per-view, so money is really big.
We see how much money boxers make. I wish him luck, [but] I think it’s a bit complicated at the moment, being UFC champion, to go out and box.” Do you think we’ll ever see Francis Ngannou box Tyson Fury? Let us know in the comments.
