Storylines to Watch at Fury vs. Ngannou

Tyson Fury will set aside his WBC heavyweight crown when his showdown with former Ultimate Fighting Championship titleholder Francis Ngannou headlines a Top Rank-GIMIK Fight Promotions boxing pay-per-view on Saturday at Boulevard Hall in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Fury enters the ring as the rightful and heavy favorite at -1500, according the BetUS.com. Oddsmakers give Ngannou the proverbial puncher’s chance at +800.

While there appears to be widespread interest in what amounts to another combat sports spectacle, the proof lies with the buying public. Will people fork over $80 for a match where there seems to be very little doubt involving the outcome, and if so, will other mixed martial artists be tempted to test their luck with the Sweet Science.

Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Conor McGregor remains the standard in terms of recent boxing-mixed martial arts crossovers, drawing a reported 4.3 PPV buys in the United States and nearly a million more in the United Kingdom. Fury-Ngannou does not figure to approach those numbers domestically, but its international appeal—with Fury being from England and Ngannou being a Cameroon-born Frenchman—makes it a fascinating watch in terms of moving the needle.

Public interest is but one storyline to watch at Fury vs. Ngannou, here are three more:

Risky Endeavor

Fury steps into the match with a 33-0-1 record, a December 2018 draw with archrival Deontay Wilder the only blemish on an otherwise pristine resume. He already has his next opportunity lined up, as he has signed to face unified WBA, WBO and IBF champion Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight title on Dec. 23. Fury risks much in his clash with Ngannou, a man who carries enough power in his fists to knock out a silverback gorilla—or at least warrant an appearance in the “Jackass Forever” movie. What if the 6-foot-4, 265-pound Ngannou lands the lucky kill shot about which everyone talks? Unlikely, yes, but not impossible. If Fury happened to lose to Ngannou, it would undoubtedly tarnish his legacy and perhaps put future earnings in peril. Time will tell whether or not the juice was worth the squeeze.

High Reward

Ngannou has much less on the line. If he loses, he was supposed to lose. Ngannou, no matter the outcome, can comfortably return to the MMA world to start a lucrative deal with the Professional Fighters League and make a run at the company’s $1 million end-of-season prize in 2024. It could be argued that he had never looked better when he parted ways with the Ultimate Fighting Championship over a contract dispute earlier this year. His record sits at 17-3, and he owns victories over four former UFC champions: Andrei Arlovski, Junior dos Santos, Cain Velasquez and Stipe Miocic. Ngannou will ride into his PFL debut on the strength of six-fight winning streak, having beaten Ciryl Gane by unanimous decision in his most recent appearance at UFC 270 on Jan. 22, 2022. By facing Fury, he fulfills a lifelong dream of testing himself in the boxing arena against an all-time great and banks a life-altering payday. Everything else will be viewed as gravy.

Friends with Benefits

With Ngannou scheduled to make no less than $10 million in his 10-round bout opposite Fury, it begs the question: Will the discrepancy in pay between MMA and boxing continue to spur crossovers? “The Predator” made $600,000 in disclosed pay in his win over Gane. McGregor, Nate Diaz, Anderson Silva, Tyron Woodley and Ben Askren have all dabbled in boxing with varying degrees of success and failure. McGregor reportedly earned in the neighborhood of $100 million for his match with Mayweather, while Silva took home $500,000 against Jake Paul, along with 35% of the PPV splits. Mixed martial artists have long decried low pay when compared to their boxing counterparts. Perhaps this trend of crossovers, should it continue, will benefit both sides.