Francis Ngannou hits out at Eddie Hearn over Tyson Fury "exhibition" claim

18 July 2023 , 14:27

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Francis Ngannou hits out at Eddie Hearn over Tyson Fury "exhibition" claim

Francis Ngannou has criticised Matchroom Boxing boss Eddie Hearn for stating his fight against Tyson Fury would be an exhibition bout.

Ngannou steps foot into the ring for the first time on October 28 against heavyweight champion Fury after parting ways with the UFC at the beginning of the year. Many fans speculated as to whether the bout would go on either Fury or Ngannou's professional boxing records, with Hearn previously suggesting their fight would be an exhibition with a"no-knockdown rule.

The former UFC champion has now set the record straight about the fight as he said on The MMA Hour: "How did Eddie Hearn know about this to know and give all the details? I don't remember him being around the table talking on this fight. What I can say is that he doesn't know anything about it.

"All the things he knows is what he has heard is what other people have heard. I mean, that's clear. He doesn't know anything because it's a real fight. It's going on, it's going to be a fight. The only difference is there's not a title on the line, but it's a real fight. It's going on our record."

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Fury's WBC heavyweight title is not on the line because Ngannou is not ranked by the organisation. A fighter must be ranked in the top 15 of the WBC to be eligible to earn a shot at a world title and with Ngannou yet to even step foot in the ring for the first time as a professional, that prestigious spot is well outside of his grasp.

"That's another discussion that is going to take a lot inside of the WBC and all of that stuff," Ngannou added. "In order to make this fight happen, if we wanted to do everything [for the title] there would be a lot of parties involved and this fight wouldn't happen. So we had to get this fight done quick."

Francis Ngannou issued a scathing response to Eddie Hearn (Getty Images)

Fury vs Ngannou will take place over 10 three-minute rounds and a standard 10-point must system will also be in effect. It will mark the longest fight Ngannou has been scheduled in for his entire combat sports career, as UFC title fights are 25-minutes in length. Some fans feel the winner of the fight will be crowned the "baddest man on the planet" and Ngannou has agreed with this assessment.

"My dream was always to box and to box the best. This is my opportunity to make that dream come true and cement my position as the baddest man on the planet. All I will say to Tyson for now is he better dance in that ring because if I touch him, he’s going to sleep," he said.

Harry Davies