Did Tyson Fury underestimate Francis Ngannou? “I didn’t even train for him.”

In 2023, Francis Ngannou came within a hair’s breadth of pulling off one of the biggest upsets in the world of boxing. The former UFC champion gave Tyson Fury a much tougher time than anyone had expected. Years later, however, “The Gypsy King” revealed that he hadn’t prepared for that bout the same way he would have for a regular fight.

When the boxing match between Fury and Ngannou was announced, experts had little doubt as to its outcome. Although the Cameroonian was known for his tremendous punching power, he was set to face one of the best heavyweight boxers of his generation. Many expected “The Gypsy King” to let “The Predator” have his moment for a few rounds and then end the fight early.

The reality turned out to be completely different. Not only was Ngannou able to compete with Fury, but he also sent the Brit to the canvas. Ultimately, “The Gypsy King” won by a split decision, though the verdict sparked considerable controversy.

Nearly three years later, Fury revisited that fight and offered his perspective on what turned out to be a surprisingly close bout.

Tyson Fury on his fight with Ngannou: “It was just for fun for me”

In an interview with ALF Global, Fury admitted that he hadn’t prepared for Ngannou the way he would have for a full-fledged bout against a top boxer. The Briton emphasized, however, that this wasn’t a matter of disrespecting “The Predator’s” skills. He simply viewed the significance of this event quite differently.

– No, I didn’t train for that fight. Not because I thought he was a weak opponent. I knew he was a good fighter, but for me, there are different levels in boxing. If I’m fighting a world champion, then in my mind he’s the world champion, and everything makes sense. But when you’re in an exhibition match, just for fun—it wasn’t really a fight, you know what I mean? In my mind, it wasn’t a fight. It was just an exhibition match, just for fun.

Fury believes that Ngannou approached their matchup with a very different mindset. For the former UFC champion, the chance to face off against “The Gypsy King” was a huge event and an opportunity to make a name for himself in the boxing world.

– For him, for Ngannou, it was like, “Aaaah, a huge fight—I’m fighting Tyson Fury!” For me, it was just for fun, a game—you know what I mean?

A great performance against Fury opened the door for Ngannou to his next big fight. In March 2024, “The Predator” faced Anthony Joshua. This time, his adventure in the ring unfolded quite differently. The former heavyweight world champion knocked out the Cameroonian in the second round.

Since then, Ngannou has not returned to professional boxing. Instead, he has returned to MMA, where he has recorded two spectacular knockout victories, defeating Renan Ferreira and Philipe Lins.

Fury also continued his career after two title losses to Oleksandr Usyk. “The Gypsy King” then won two consecutive fights. In April, he defeated Arslanbek Makhmudov by unanimous decision, and in July, he stopped Mariusz Wach before the final bell.