RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (Oct. 28, 2023) — It wasn’t without its fair share of surprises, but The Gypsy King prevailed.

WBC & lineal heavyweight boxing world champion Tyson Fury overcame an early knockdown to secure a 10-round split decision victory over lineal MMA heavyweight world champion Francis Ngannou Saturday evening at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 

The long-awaited battle of behemoths kicked off Riyadh Season, one of the world’s leading entertainment festivals, which runs throughout the winter months in the Kingdom’s largest city. 

In the opening seconds, Fury leaped from his corner to land a quick right, but Ngannou’s awkwardness and strength soon slowed the pace. Then, as he appeared to get his rhythm, Fury was dropped with a counter left hook from Ngannou.

Fury got back to his feet to face a fired-up Ngannou, but a few robust right hands from The Gypsy King help to temper the MMA legend’s aggression. Fury continued to box, though he received numerous punches as he engaged with Ngannou on the inside in the eighth round, after which he resumed his outside game to try to secure the final two rounds. 

Fury returned successfully from an almost 11-month layoff with scores of 96-93 and 95-94, which overruled one score of 95-94 for Ngannou.

Fury said, “That definitely wasn’t in the script. He’s one hell of a fighter. He’s strong, a big puncher, and a lot better as a boxer than we thought he would ever be. He’s a very awkward man, and he’s a good puncher. I respect him a lot, before the fight and afterward.

“He was very awkward. He wasn’t coming forward. He was standing back and waiting for me to land my punches and then try to counter. He’s a good fighter. He’s given me one of my toughest fights in the last 10 years.

“It’s part of boxing. I got caught behind the head again. My legs weren’t hurt or nothing. I was alright. And I got back up and it was what it was. And I got back to my boxing. I don’t know how close it was. But I got the win, and that’s what it is.”

Ngannou said, “We can run it back again, and I’m sure I will get the better. This was my first boxing match. It was a great experience. I’m not giving any excuse. I know I came up short. But I’m going to go back and work harder with a little more experience and a little more feeling of the game. And I will come back even stronger. 

“At first, I was a little nervous. This is a new sport that I never did. Now I know I can do this sh*t. So, get ready!”

Heavyweight: In an all-British showdown, Fabio Wardley (17-0, 16 KOs) put an exclamation point on a bitter, months-long rivalry with David Adeleye (12-1, 11 KOs) by scoring a seventh-round TKO. Wardley pressed the action while Adeleye circled the ring. Adeleye found openings in the fifth round, but in round seven, Wardley was back in control with firm jabs. Then, while separating from a clinch, Wardley landed a right-left combo that floored Adeleye and ended matters with another combo shortly thereafter. Time of stoppage: 2:43.

Heavyweight Former heavyweight world champion Joseph Parker (33-3, 23 KOs) defeated Canadian knockout artist Simon Kean (23-2, 22 KOs) via third-round TKO. Parker spent the first two rounds deciphering Kean’s defense. He then began to land uppercuts in between Kean’s guard, first wobbling him and then stopping him with another. Time of stoppage: 2:04.

Heavyweight: Montreal-based wrecking ball Arslanbek Makhmudov (18-0, 17 KOs) notched a first-round TKO against Junior Anthony Wright (20-5-1, 17 KOs). Makhmudov dropped Wright with a right hand followed by consecutive left hooks. Wright survived the knockdown, but another right hand by “The Lion” nearly had Wright out on his feet, forcing referee Steve Gray to stop the fight. Time of stoppage: 1:10.

Heavyweight: 18-year-old British prodigy Moses Itauma (6-0, 4 KOs) iced Istvan Bernath (10-2, 8 KOs) via first-round TKO. Itauma sent Bernath to the canvas with a jab before ending matters with combinations around Bernath’s guard. Time of stoppage: 1:53.
 

By Norm Frauenheim –

Tyson Fury-Francis Ngannou defies description. Fight or fraud? Fish or foul? It depends on who’s doing the marketing and/or the mocking.

Sift through all of the possibilities, and there’s only one: Exhibition. That, and all of its interpretations, was on parade at a news conference Thursday in Riyadh.

 At times, it was slapstick funny. Send in the clowns. At times, it began to redefine what it means to be cringe-worthy.

A cringe-worthy moment: Fury stripped off his jacket and vest for a bare-chested pose in a forehead-to-forehead stare-down with Ngonnou. His 59-year-old father, John Fury, quickly joined the strip show shedding his shirt and then stepping in front of the camera. Gently, John Fury – animated as in cartoon-like — had to be moved to one side. It wasn’t his show. At least, it’s not supposed to be.

All of the time, it was clear it was all about the cash.

There’s plenty of that being exhibited, although none of the numbers have been confirmed. Let’s just say that Fury’s income could make him an oil baron.

Speculation puts his payday at $60 million for an exhibition (Saturday, 2 pm ET/11 am PT, ESPN + pay-per-view), that looks a lot like a tune-up for a fight – a real one –projected for Dec. 23 against Ukrainian heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk, also in Riyadh and also for an astonishing bankroll. Talk – and that’s all it is – puts that paycheck at $100 million.

For the Saudis, Fury looks to be another investment in their so-called sports wash. He’s another name, another possible diversion from the controversy surrounding the Saudi Kingdom’s reputation for repression. Their sports collection includes Phil Mickelson, Formula One auto racing, soccer and horse racing. A major addition would be Fury-Usyk, one of the biggest heavyweight fights in a fabled history.

“Tyson Fury is certainly the best heavyweight since Muhammad Ali and maybe ever,’’ said Fury’s 92-year-old American promoter, Bob Arum, also Ali’s former promoter.

But boxing isn’t golf. It’s a risk, one that maybe Mickelson wouldn’t even bet on.  With one punch, everything can go wrong and often does.

Fury-Ngannou, at $79.99 pay-per-view, is being mocked precisely because it looks like a set-up for the reported December date with Usyk. The Saturday exhibition is not even listed under Fury’s BoxRec entry. If the reliable, go-to BoxRec doesn’t list it, it’s not a fight. Then, there’s Fury’s World Boxing Council heavyweight belt. It’s not at stake, although WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman was there with a specially-made belt, named “the Riyadh Champion belt.’’ That makes interim sound like a promotion.

The guess is that if the unlikely happens, the WBC belt would still be in play in December against Usyk, who holds the three other belts. Then, there’s Ngonnou, a UFC champion, a mixed martial arts fighter known for unprecedented power.

Even Mike Tyson, a celebrity cornerman for Ngannou, marvels at power that once defined him.

“Nobody takes a punch like Tyson Fury, but this is a different kind of power,’’ said Tyson, who wore a businessman’s suit to Thursday’s exhibit of Fury exhibitionists.

Tyson is there to help sell the show. He’s an intriguing angle. In 1988, John Fury named his son after Tyson, who had just begun his wild run through the heavyweight division.

Mike Tyson warns his namesake about Ngannou’s power. It’s a limb-breaker, he says.

“I saw him hit this guy,’’ Tyson said as he gestured with an imaginary blow to the jaw. “And the guy wound up breaking a leg or ankle or whatever.’’

But there are doubts about whether Ngannou, of Cameroon, will ever land that big punch. He’s a novice boxer. Video of him hitting the mitts showed power, but no precision or hand speed. Autumn could turn to winter in the time it takes Ngannou to land. The clever Fury could feint, duck, feint again and counter within that long moment. Leg-breaker? Yeah Ngannou might break his own in a wild miss.

The real measure of Ngannou’s feared power is also hard to judge. He’ll be wearing 10-ounce gloves for the first time. He executed 17 stoppages in mixed martial arts wearing four-ounce gloves.

In his memorable trilogy with Deontay Wilder, he was knocked down four times by a right hand as explosive as any in history. What would Wilder’s power have done had he been wearing four ounces, instead of 10? He and Fury probably would have never gone beyond the first fight and Fury’s 12th-round resurrection from a crushing knockdown.

There are other possibilities, hard to predict and all common to boxing’s familiar chaos. Fury knows them. He’s been there. In September 2019, he fought Swede Otto Wallin in a fight perceived to be a tune-up for his first rematch with Wilder. The heavily favored Fury won a debatable unanimous decision in Las Vegas. He also suffered a nasty cut to his right eye.

A Wallin punch caused the cut in the third round. Wallin would do further damage, enough to argue that the fight should have been stopped in his favor.

Fury needed a reported 47 stitches and time to heal. There was speculation that it would delay the second fight with Wilder. It didn’t. Wilder conceded it was risky, that the cut might rupture. But he never gave a clueless Wilder the chance to try, blowing him away in the seventh round February 2020 in Vegas.

Call it a warning, Exhibit A among risks to a Saudi bet that it’ll host some heavyweight history.   

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (Oct. 26, 2023) – The combat sports crossover event of the millennium is only two days away.

WBC & lineal heavyweight boxing world champion Tyson “The Gypsy King” Fury and lineal MMA heavyweight world champion Francis Ngannou will lock horns this Saturday, Oct. 28, at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 

The long-awaited battle of behemoths kicks off Riyadh Season, one of the world’s leading entertainment festivals, which runs throughout the winter months in the Kingdom’s largest city.

Promoted by Queensberry, Top Rank and GIMIK Fight Promotions, the Fury-Ngannou card will stream live on Top Rank on ESPN+ PPV in the United States beginning at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT. Priced at $79.99 across all distributors, it also will be available via cable and satellite pay-per-view providers.

The pay-per-view undercard, an all-heavyweight affair, features a 12-round showdown between undefeated British standouts Fabio Wardley (16-0, 15 KOs) and David Adeleye (12-0, 11 KOs), along with a 10-round battle between former heavyweight world champion Joseph Parker (32-3, 22 KOs) and Canadian knockout artist Simon Kean (23-1, 22 KOs).

Montreal-based wrecking ball Arslanbek Makhmudov (17-0, 16 KOs) will take on the upset-minded Junior Anthony Wright (20-4-1, 17 KOs) in a 10-round clash, and Moses Itauma (5-0, 3 KOs) will open the pay-per-view broadcast in a six-rounder against Istvan Bernath (10-1, 8 KOs).

At Thursday’s press conference, an eventful show that included an animated John Fury (Tyson’s father), this is what the fighters had to say:

Tyson Fury
 
“It’s absolutely unbelievable to be out here in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. To be top of the bill, the main event, is even more special. We’ve all got a lot to be thankful for. We’ve all come a long way to be here. This has all happened in a short space of time. And to see it all unfold is really amazing.”
 
“Francis Ngannou is a big man. I see he’s taken a bit of advice from me with the clothes he’s wearing. He’s looking a bit snazzy. They say the finest form of flattery is imitation. And he’s got his suit on with no shirt on, and I started that! So, he’s imitating. But, there’s one thing I say, and it’s that many will imitate, but no one will ever replicate. Because there’s only one Gypsy King.”
 
“How do I prepare for a guy like this? It’s pretty difficult, but in America, we say a statement like this, ‘I’m gonna knock a motherf***er out!’ And that’s how we do it. I’ve been working with SugarHill {Steward} to knock him out cold on Saturday night, and I have no doubt in my mind that I will knock him out.”
 
“He’s a big, strong guy. Obviously, he’s got a good punch. But so am I. I’m a big, strong guy. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be the world heavyweight champion. But I believe there’s levels to the game. And he’s going to find out my level on Saturday night.”

Francis Ngannou

“This is a dream come true. And I remember four years ago, when I first met Mike Tyson, my only request was for him to be in my corner if I fight Tyson Fury. People thought I was losing it. They thought I was crazy. They thought it would never happen. But here we are. The fight is happening. So, I’m living a dream. This has always been my dream. It wasn’t easy, but we are here.”
 
“I want to thank Tyson Fury for taking the fight and taking this risk because there is a lot of risk here for him. He might go to sleep on Saturday night. But I appreciate his courage, and I thank him.”
 
“This camp has been different from my past camps. It’s a different experience, a different beast. I was aware that there was a mountain in front of me, so that’s why we started the camp a lot earlier. And it went well, but having somebody like Mike Tyson around and my coach Dewey Cooper was very helpful in terms of approaching this fight.”
 
“We got Mike Tyson in, and the first thing he said that stuck in my mind is when he said, ‘Listen, he has two hands and two feet like you.’ And I got that. And that’s enough for Saturday night. Tyson Fury is definitely the best in boxing, but that’s stopping on Saturday night.”

David Adeleye
 
“Saturday night is two days away. The talking is done now. We’ll see how tough he is.”
 
“He’s not the same as me. I see his mannerisms and how he carries himself. We just ain’t the same. But I don’t really take it all in. What matters is what happens on fight night. What he does other than that doesn’t really bother me.”
 
“What’s going to happen when I take him into deep waters? I know he’s never faced a banger like me. I don’t think, I know.”

“It’s nothing towards him personally. I just hate how he talks, and he talks like he’s a seasoned pro. The man has had 16 fights, I don’t really understand.”
 
“He’s got no boxing ability. He can only fight one way, and that’s walking forward. He’s got no boxing I.Q. I can back up and I know Wardley will follow me. He’s not intelligent enough to see that I’m setting traps. And on Saturday night, you will see that.”

Fabio Wardley
 
“It’s a very special stage for a very special night. There is a lot to look forward to on this card, but I think the fight with me and David has captured a lot of eyes. A lot of people are interested. And I’m looking forward to having a big night.”
 
“He hasn’t faced anyone of any worth or of any level, so there’s nothing there for me to look at and say ‘Okay, maybe he has shown this or that.’ There’s nothing I’ve seen that has made me consider that, so it’s all smoke and mirrors for me.”
 
“I’d say I’ll be the first man to beat him, but I think there was someone else on his record who pretty much beat him, but he did well to get home a home decision, so maybe I’ll be the first on record. But I think it’s been seen by quite a wide audience in the boxing community that there are flaws there that have been exploited. And when it gets hot, like he says, he thinks he knows how to swim, but when he was drowning before, he didn’t know what to do.”

Joseph Parker
 
“Even if I were fighting Tyson Fury, I don’t think there’s any more that we could have done in camp. We’ve trained very hard for Simon Kean. And we respect him as a fighter. We know that he’s got a lot of knockouts, so we’ve done everything in our power to be as prepared as we can be for this challenge.”
 
“I’m going to follow the plan that Andy Lee says and punch his face.”

Simon Kean
 
“This is a big challenge for me. This week, Joseph said he wants to knock me out. Of course he wants to knock me out, and I want to knock him out, too. That’s boxing. I know I have a big challenge and that I will need a great performance to get the win, but I had a really great training camp and I’m ready to shock the world.”

Arslanbek Makhmudov
 
“He has good defense. He’s fast. He’s not as tall as my other opponents, so that’s going to be a good change for me. I can’t ever say that I will score the knockout, but I will just do my best and everything will come from that. I’m going to give a good performance.”

Junior Anthony Wright
 
“I’m in the gym all the time. I work out like I’ve got nothing else to do. I took advantage of the situation, and here I am. It’s definitely going to be a good fight because I am a puncher as well. It’s going to be one of the best fights.”

Moses Itauma
 
“I’m not going to go in there and look for the KO. But obviously, I’m going to go in there and try my best. And hopefully the KO comes. At the end of the day, nobody can predict the future, but if I go in there and do 100 percent, then I’ll come out victorious.”
 

Saturday, October 28

Top Rank on ESPN+ PPV (2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT)

Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou, 10 rounds, heavyweight
 
Fabio Wardley vs. David Adeleye, 12 rounds, heavyweight

Moses Itauma vs. Istvan Bernath, 6 rounds, heavyweight 
 

 # # # 

About Riyadh Season:
Saudi Arabia’s capital embraces one of the world’s biggest entertainment events every year during winter. Since the launch of the Riyadh Season in 2019, the festival has welcomed visitors from all over the world to experience thousands of concerts, sporting events, dining experiences and other unique cultural events. In 2023, Riyadh Season will commence on Saturday, 28 October with a spectacular opening ceremony and an historic boxing match between Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (Oct. 25, 2023) – WBC & lineal heavyweight boxing world champion Tyson “The Gypsy King” Fury, lineal MMA heavyweight world champion Francis Ngannou, and undercard combatants hosted their public workouts today ahead of The Battle of The Baddest this Saturday, Oct. 28, at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 

The long-awaited battle of behemoths kicks off Riyadh Season, one of the world’s leading entertainment festivals, which runs throughout the winter months in the Kingdom’s largest city.

Promoted by Queensberry, Top Rank and GIMIK Fight Promotions, the Fury-Ngannou card will stream live on Top Rank on ESPN+ PPV in the United States beginning at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT. Priced at $79.99 across all distributors, it also will be available via cable and satellite pay-per-view providers.

The pay-per-view undercard will be an all-heavyweight affair and will feature a 12-round showdown between undefeated British standouts Fabio Wardley (16-0, 15 KOs) and David Adeleye (12-0, 11 KOs) and a 10-rounder between former heavyweight world champion Joseph Parker (32-3, 22 KOs) and Canadian knockout artist Simon Kean (23-1, 22 KOs).

Montreal-based wrecking ball Arslanbek Makhmudov (17-0, 16 KOs) will fight the upset-minded Junior Anthony Wright (20-4-1, 17 KOs) in a 10-round tilt, and Moses Itauma (5-0, 3 KOs) will open the pay-per-view broadcast in a six-rounder against Istvan Bernath (10-1, 8 KOs).

This is what Fury and Ngannou had to say after their respective workouts:

Tyson Fury

“I showed the best version of me, and if he can deal with that, best of luck to him.”

“I was in there floating like a butterfly. Nineteen stone, can you believe that? And 6-foot-9. And moving like that! That’s shocking. It’s not fair, really!”

“It’s happening. He’s the bull, I’m the matador! 99.999 percent of the time, the matador wins!”

“Francis Ngannou is a big, fat sausage. That’s why he won’t take his top off. He’s embarrassed of his body. If it was up to Francis, he’d fight with his t-shirt on. Facts!

Francis Ngannou

“To be honest, I haven’t gotten any respect from the boxing community, so I am not expecting anybody to respect me. I think I need to claim my own respect. Respect is not given. You don’t just walk out there and demand people to respect you for no reason. I think respect is earned, whether it’s the boxing community or life in general.”

“Yes, I am going to fight, and if that big shot comes, it comes. If it doesn’t come, I really intend to fight properly.”

“Anything is possible. It’s possible. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here. In fact, see  how we are talking about Tyson Fury? Who would’ve believed that a couple years ago?

“I was having fun. I almost wanted to just dance. Then I realized that I would show them my dance skills. And I was like, ‘nah, I don’t have any!””

Saturday, October 28

Top Rank on ESPN+ Pay-Per-View (2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT)
 

Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou, 10 rounds, heavyweight
 
Fabio Wardley vs. David Adeleye, 12 rounds, heavyweight

Moses Itauma vs. Istvan Bernath, 6 rounds, heavyweight 
 

 # # # 

About Riyadh Season:
Saudi Arabia’s capital embraces one of the world’s biggest entertainment events every year during winter. Since the launch of the Riyadh Season in 2019, the festival has welcomed visitors from all over the world to experience thousands of concerts, sporting events, dining experiences and other unique cultural events. In 2023, Riyadh Season will commence on Saturday, 28 October with a spectacular opening ceremony and an historic boxing match between Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou.

The combat crossover event of the year features WBC and lineal heavyweight boxing world champion Tyson “The Gypsy King” Fury (33-0-1, 24 KOs) versus lineal MMA heavyweight world champion Francis Ngannou (17-3, 16 Finishes) in a highly anticipated 10-round boxing match. The long-awaited battle between two giants in their fields kicks off Riyadh Season, a months-long entertainment and sports festival in the Kingdom’s largest city.

The Top Rank on ESPN+ PPV all-heavyweight event will also feature:

• Undefeated British standouts Fabio Wardley (16-0, 15 KOs)and David Adeleye (12-0, 11 KOs)facing off in a 12-rounder.
   
• Former heavyweight world champion Joseph Parker (32-3, 22 KOs), a New Zealand-born veteran who trains with Fury, will fight Canadian knockout artist Simon Kean (23-1, 22 KOs) in a 10-rounder.
   
• Arslanbek Makhmudov (17-0, 16 KOs), a 260-plus pound power puncher fighting out of Montreal, Canada, will fight the upset-minded Junior Anthony Wright (20-4-1, 17 KOs) in a 10-rounder.
   
• Moses Itauma (5-0, 3 KOs), Great Britain’s 18-year-old heavyweight hopeful, will see action in a six-rounder against Istvan Bernath (10-1, 8 KOs).

Calling the action: ESPN’s Joe Tessitore, Hall of Famer, Timothy Bradley, Jr., Bernardo Osuna, and Brett Okamoto.

Original Programming:

Prior to Saturday’s event, ESPN will air the original production: Road to Riyadh: Fury vs. Ngannou, a 30-minute all access preview of the upcoming super-event.

Road to Riyadh: Fury vs. Ngannou (All times ET)

The program will also be available for replay on-demand in the ESPN App, on ESPN.com and on ESPN+.

ESPN.com

From Ali to Inoki to Fury vs. Ngannou, highlighting the biggest crossover fights of all time (Jeff Wagenheim)
Teddy Atlas: How I’d train Francis Ngannou to face Tyson Fury
Thursday: Timothy Bradley Jr.’ s take: There’s a path for Ngannou to upset Fury
Friday: Francis Ngannou’s full circle journey into boxing with Mike Tyson by his side (Brett Okamoto)

ESPN+: On Demand Shows, Archives & Premium Articles

• Top Rank: Real Time– All-access with top fighters throughout fight week as they work their way to fight night. 
• Who Do U Fight 4?– Learn what drivesthe next generation of Top Rank stars. 
• State of Boxing– Post-show coverage of the biggest fights on ESPN and ESPN+. 
• Best of Boxing Spotlight – An archive of the all-time best Top Rank fights. 

Follow @ESPNRingside: Facebook Instagram X (Twitter) TikTok

Follow @ESPNMMA: Facebook Instagram X (Twitter) TikTok 

Fury vs. Nngannou (All Times ET)

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (Oct. 24, 2023) — The Battle of the Baddest fight week kicked off in grand fashion Tuesday evening in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 

WBC & lineal heavyweight boxing world champion Tyson “The Gypsy King” Fury and lineal MMA heavyweight world champion Francis Ngannou made their grand arrivals today ahead of their showdown this Saturday, Oct. 28, at Boulevard Hall.

The long-awaited battle of behemoths kicks off Riyadh Season, one of the world’s leading entertainment festivals, which runs throughout the winter months in the Kingdom’s largest city.

Promoted by Queensberry, Top Rank and GIMIK Fight Promotions, the Fury-Ngannou card will stream live on Top Rank on ESPN+ PPV in the United States beginning at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT. Priced at $79.99 across all distributors, it also will be available via cable and satellite pay-per-view providers.

The pay-per-view undercard will be an all-heavyweight extravaganza and features a 12-round showdown between undefeated British standouts Fabio Wardley (16-0, 15 KOs) and David Adeleye (12-0, 11 KOs), along with a 10-rounder between former heavyweight world champion Joseph Parker (32-3, 22 KOs) and Canadian knockout artist Simon Kean (23-1, 22 KOs).

Montreal-based wrecking ball Arslanbek Makhmudov (17-0, 16 KOs) will fight the upset-minded Junior Anthony Wright (20-4-1, 17 KOs) in a 10-round tilt, and Moses Itauma (5-0, 3 KOs) will open the pay-per-view broadcast in a six-rounder against Istvan Bernath (10-1, 8 KOs).

At Tuesday’s grand arrivals, this is what Fury and Ngannou had to say:

Tyson Fury

“I can stand and trade with anybody. I stood and traded with Wilder. I traded with Wladimir {Klitschko}, and I’ll stand and trade with this little bi*ch.”

“I might give him a slick, master boxing performance, not let the ugly man touch me once. That would be unbelievable, wouldn’t it? I might start dancing, tripling the jab like Apollo Creed, move around, just stick and move.

“When {Ngannou} feels this right hand, he won’t be winning very much.”

“Sometimes I stand in front of the mirror and think I’m an absolute genius. When everyone thought it was all over for the GK, he comes and totally redeems himself and pulls this out of the hat. Only six months ago, I didn’t know if I ever was going to box again. Now, here we go.”

“I’m not thinking about {the Oleksandr Usyk fight}. I got this big sausage to deal with, and once I grill him up nice and good, then we’ll move on to the next one.”

Francis Ngannou

“I can’t believe it. Walking from there, I looked at it like, “The boy made it.'”

“I didn’t try to replicate what Fury would do. I’m not going in there to play Fury’s game. I’m going there to play my own game. So, my training was based on me, how I can fight, and that’s what me and my coaches worked on. It went well. Tough, but it went well.”

“I’m aware of my lack of experience in boxing, but I am a man of challenges, and I’ve overcome a lot of challenges.”

“Before anything can happen on Saturday night, there are two. We are already the two baddest men on the planet. We’re just aiming for the first spot.”

“I’ve been waiting on Tyson Fury for four years. At the time, I didn’t know about Oleksandr Usyk. When the opportunity came, I wanted Tyson Fury. He’s the guy.”

Saturday, October 28

Top Rank on ESPN+ Pay-Per-View (2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT)

Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou, 10 rounds, heavyweight
 
Fabio Wardley vs. David Adeleye, 12 rounds, heavyweight

Moses Itauma vs. Istvan Bernath, 6 rounds, heavyweight 
 

 # # # 

About Riyadh Season:
Saudi Arabia’s capital embraces one of the world’s biggest entertainment events every year during winter. Since the launch of the Riyadh Season in 2019, the festival has welcomed visitors from all over the world to experience thousands of concerts, sporting events, dining experiences and other unique cultural events. In 2023, Riyadh Season will commence on Saturday, 28 October with a spectacular opening ceremony and an historic boxing match between Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (Oct. 23, 2023) – Fight week for The Battle Of The Baddest is finally here. WBC & lineal heavyweight boxing world champion Tyson “The Gypsy King” Fury will square off against lineal MMA heavyweight world champion Francis Ngannou on Saturday, Oct. 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 

The long-awaited battle of behemoths kicks off Riyadh Season, one of the world’s leading entertainment festivals, which runs throughout the winter months in the Kingdom’s largest city.

Promoted by Queensberry, Top Rank and GIMIK Fight Promotions, the Fury-Ngannou card will stream live on Top Rank on ESPN+ PPV in the United States beginning at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT. Priced at $79.99 across all distributors, it also will be available via cable and satellite pay-per-view providers.

The pay-per-view undercard will be an all-heavyweight affair and features a 12-round showdown between undefeated British standouts Fabio Wardley (16-0, 15 KOs) and David Adeleye (12-0, 11 KOs).

Former heavyweight world champion Joseph Parker (32-3, 22 KOs), a New Zealand-born veteran who trains with Fury, will take on Canadian knockout artist Simon Kean (23-1, 22 KOs) in a 10-rounder.

Arslanbek Makhmudov (17-0, 16 KOs), a 260-plus pound wrecking ball out of Montreal, Canada, will fight the upset-minded Junior Anthony Wright (20-4-1, 17 KOs) in a 10-rounder. 

Moses Itauma (5-0, 3 KOs), Great Britain’s 18-year-old heavyweight hopeful, will open the pay-per-view broadcast in a six-rounder against once-beaten Hungarian Istvan Bernath (10-1, 8 KOs).

Before Saturday’s full night of action, the full suite of fight week events will stream live on Top Rank’s YouTube, Twitter and Facebook pages.

New episodes of Top Rank Real Time, a behind-the-scenes look at the fighters and their camps, will premier every day throughout fight week on Top Rank’s YouTube channel.
  
Tuesday, October 24 : Fury vs. Ngannou Grand Arrivals
1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT
Streaming live on Top Rank’s YouTube, X (Twitter) & Facebook pages
 
Wednesday, October 25: Fury vs. Ngannou Public Workouts
1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT
Streaming live on Top Rank’s YouTube, X (Twitter)  & Facebook pages
 
Thursday, October 26: Fury vs. Ngannou Main Event & Undercard Press Conferences
1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT
Streaming live on Top Rank’s YouTube, X (Twitter) & Facebook pages
 
Friday, October 27: Fury vs. Ngannou Weigh-In
11 a.m. ET/8 a.m. PT
Streaming live on Top Rank’s YouTube, X (Twitter) & Facebook pages

Saturday, October 28: Fury vs. Ngannou Fight Day
PPV Broadcast
2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT
CLICK HERE for Top Rank on ESPN+ PPV Event Order Page

PPV broadcast includes: Fury-Ngannou, Wardley-Adeleye, Parker-Kean, Makhmudov-Wright and Itauma-Bernath.

Post-Fight Press Conference (After Main Event)
Streaming live on Top Rank’s YouTube, X (Twitter) & Facebook pages
 

 # # # 

About Riyadh Season:
Saudi Arabia’s capital embraces one of the world’s biggest entertainment events every year during winter. Since the launch of the Riyadh Season in 2019, the festival has welcomed visitors from all over the world to experience thousands of concerts, sporting events, dining experiences and other unique cultural events. In 2023, Riyadh Season will commence on Saturday, 28 October with a spectacular opening ceremony and an historic boxing match between Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou.

On Saturday, October 21, ESPN will premiere the original program: Road to Riyadh: Fury vs. Ngannou, a 30-minute all access preview of combat sport’s crossover event of the year featuring WBC & lineal heavyweight boxing world champion Tyson “The Gypsy King” Fury (Boxing record: 33-0-1, 24 KOs) versus lineal MMA heavyweight world champion Francis Ngannou (MMA record: 17-3, 16 Finishes) in a highly anticipated 10-round boxing match.

On Saturday October 28, at 2:00 p.m. ET/ 11:00 a.m. PT, Top Rank on ESPN+ PPV will stream the all-heavyweight boxing event live from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The long-awaited battle between two giants in their fields kicks off Riyadh Season, a months-long entertainment and sports festival in the Kingdom’s largest city.

ESPN+ is available on ESPN.com and the ESPN App for mobile and connected TV devices.

In addition to the airtimes below leading up to the October 28 event, Road to Riyadh: Fury vs. Ngannou will be available for replay on-demand in the ESPN App and on ESPN.com and ESPN+.

Road to Riyadh: Fury vs. Ngannou (All times ET)

(Oct. 10, 2023) — The combat sports crossover event of the millennium will be beamed stateside from halfway around the globe.

WBC & lineal heavyweight boxing world champion Tyson “The Gypsy King” Fury is set to go toe- to-toe with lineal MMA heavyweight world champion Francis Ngannou on Saturday, Oct. 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The long-awaited battle of behemoths kicks off Riyadh Season, one of the world’s leading entertainment festivals, which runs throughout the winter months in the Kingdom’s largest city.

Promoted by Queensberry, Top Rank and GIMIK Fight Promotions, the Fury-Ngannou card will stream live on Top Rank on ESPN+ PPV in the United States beginning at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT. Priced at $79.99 across all distributors, it also will be available via cable and satellite pay-per-view providers.

The Top Rank on ESPN+ PPV, an all-heavyweight extravaganza, will also feature:

• Undefeated British standouts Fabio Wardley (16-0, 15 KOs) and David Adeleye (12-0, 11 KOs) facing off in a 12-rounder. The Wardley-Adeleye rivalry hit new heights at the Fury-Ngannou press conference in London last month, as the fighters and their camps brawled on the red carpet. The melee left Wardley with cuts above his left eye and under his chin.
   
• Former heavyweight world champion Joseph Parker (32-3, 22 KOs), a New Zealand-born veteran who trains with Fury, will fight Canadian knockout artist Simon Kean (23-1, 22 KOs) in a 10-rounder.
   
• Arslanbek Makhmudov (17-0, 16 KOs), a 260-plus pound power puncher fighting out of Montreal, Canada, will fight the upset-minded Junior Anthony Wright (20-4-1, 17 KOs) in a 10-rounder. Wright replaces Agron Smakici, who withdrew from the contest.
   
• Moses Itauma (5-0, 3 KOs), Great Britain’s 18-year-old heavyweight hopeful, will see action in a six-rounder.

# # #
About Riyadh Season:
Saudi Arabia’s capital embraces one of the world’s biggest entertainment events every year during winter. Since the launch of the Riyadh Season in 2019, the festival has welcomed visitors from all over the world to experience thousands of concerts, sporting events, dining experiences and other unique cultural events. In 2023, Riyadh Season will commence on Saturday, 28 October with a spectacular opening ceremony and an historic boxing match between Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou.

LONDON (Sept. 7, 2023) – Lineal & WBC heavyweight boxing champion Tyson “The Gypsy King” Fury and lineal heavyweight MMA king Francis Ngannou met face-to-face today at the kickoff press conference for the most anticipated combat sports event of the year.

Fury and Ngannou will collide in a 10-round boxing match on Saturday, October 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in an epic showdown between two giants of their fields, which will mark the opening of this year’s Riyadh Season. The fight will take place under the official rules of professional boxing, with the three ringside judges using the 10-point must system.

This clash of heavyweight titans is promoted by Queensberry, Top Rank and Ngannou’s promotional banner, GIMIK Fight Promotions.
 ?
Fury-Ngannou will be available on pay-per-view in the United States.

At today’s press conference, this is what Fury, Ngannou and Hall of Fame promoters Bob Arum and Frank Warren had to say:

Tyson Fury

“I’m absolutely honored to be fighting Francis.  He’s going to be a very, very good fighting man. You can see that he’s massive. He’s in shape. He’s going to be a real challenge. It’s something different for me. I’m used to boxing boxers and boxing the head off of somebody. But fighting an MMA guy who comes in with a different style is going to be different.”

“I can’t wait for it. It’s going to be an absolutely fantastic event. I’m honored that I’m a part of it, and I’m honored that Francis is a part of it. I’ve got to take my hat off to Francis for his story, where he’s come from, the fight, the grind, the determination and everything he’s put into it to get to where he is.”

“I will give Francis the respect that he deserves as a warrior, as a man and as a world champion. He’s a big man. He’s very strong and powerful. And it’s in my interest to give it the 100 percent training in camp and bring in the best sparring possible for me.”

Francis Ngannou 

“I am very excited. I am very happy. I have been dreaming of becoming a boxer since I was a kid. And today, I’m not just going to box; I’m going to box the guy at the peak of the mountain. Usually, I would not pay attention to what is going around. But this thing is so big that I can’t stop thinking about it. History is going to be made.”

“It’s something that I didn’t see coming, even though my dream was always there. I always hoped for it to happen some day. But I didn’t see it lay out this way as one of the biggest events of the world. This is not just a fight. We are going to open up Riyadh Season. So, it is a cultural event that we are fighting on. And we’ll just make this fight bigger and bigger. Nobody knows exactly what’s going to happen, but what I do know for sure is that I’m going to be out there hunting for that guy’s head to take it off. I can guarantee that.”
 
Bob Arum

“This is a massive event around the world, but it’s particularly massive in the United States because MMA has become one of the most popular sports there and Francis Ngannou is a legend in that sport. And Tyson has performed so admirably in the United States over the past few years that he is a massive figure in sports. The fact that they’re both coming together is something that is creating tremendous interest in the United States.”

Frank Warren

“This is a massive event. This is the biggest event I’ve ever been involved with. It’s a crossover event. You’ve got a guy who is the best in his discipline. He is the heavyweight champion. And you’ve got the man, the lineal champion, Tyson Fury, who has done everything you can ask for in a fighter. He’s an undefeated champion, a brilliant boxer and fighter. He can box or he can stand and trade with you. This is going to be something special.”

# # #?
About Riyadh Season:
Saudi Arabia’s capital embraces one of the world’s biggest entertainment events every year during winter. Since the launch of the Riyadh Season in 2019, the festival has welcomed visitors from all over the world to experience thousands of concerts, sporting events, dining experiences and other unique cultural events. In 2023, Riyadh Season will commence on Saturday, 28 October with a spectacular opening ceremony and an historic boxing match between Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou.