Tyson Fury opens up about why he didn’t train seriously for his fight against Francis Ngannou, even years after his win caused a stir.
In October 2023, Tyson Fury faced Francis Ngannou in the boxing ring, with Fury winning on points. However, the scorecards caused some debate since Ngannou managed to knock Fury down during the fight. Many fans were impressed with Ngannou’s performance and thought he might take up boxing seriously after going toe-to-toe with one of the best heavyweight boxers. But after losing to Anthony Joshua, the 39-year-old hasn’t returned to boxing since.
Now, three years after the fight, Tyson Fury shared in an interview with ALF Global why he didn’t train hard for the match against the MMA star. Fury said, “I didn’t not train for him because I didn’t think he was a good fighter—I knew he was good. But boxing has different levels. If I’m fighting a world champ, then that’s serious. But this was more like an exhibition, not really a real fight, you know?”
He added, “For Ngannou, it was a big deal—‘I’m fighting Tyson Fury!’ But for me, it was more like playing a game. Ngannou’s strong and big, but he doesn’t punch like Deontay Wilder.”
Fury was probably trying to explain the difference between fighters and what it takes to be a top boxer. Fury and Wilder had a famous trilogy of fights: they drew the first, then Fury took the WBC heavyweight title and defended it in the third fight.
This news from Fury comes as fans wait excitedly to hear when his next fight with fellow Brit Anthony Joshua will happen. Both fighters have signed a contract, but there’s still a debate about where the fight will be. Right now, the most likely spot is Madison Square Garden in New York on November 20.