On October 28, 2023, Francis Ngannou stepped into the boxing ring for the first time, facing off against the undisputed and undefeated heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury, who came out of retirement for the bout. While many expected an easy and dominant victory for Fury, it was anything but. The Cameroonian fighter pushed the ‘Gypsy King’ to his limits, even scoring a devastating knockout blow. While Fury ultimately won the fight on points, he believes that Ngannou owes him a debt of gratitude for the opportunity.
‘I’m not sure what people were expecting from this man before our fight. I know it was supposed to be a 1,000 to 1 long shot, and he was useless and couldn’t fight and all that, but he proved everyone wrong, and that’s fantastic for him. I put him on the map, made him a multimillionaire, and now I’m making him even more money. So, he should thank me. He needs to get on his knees and kiss my feet, right, for what I’ve done for him,’ Fury stated in an interview with The Stomping Ground. He also discussed Ngannou’s upcoming bout against Anthony Joshua on March 8. ‘It’s a good fight,’ Fury declared. ‘When I fought Ngannou, it was a clash and it was a bullfight, but that’s just how it goes, right? Styles make fights, and that’s what it is.’
