Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou will battle in a non-title bout on Oct. 28 in Saudi Arabia, but the results of the fight will go on their official records.
On Thursday, WBC officials confirmed to MMA Fighting that while the matchup is contested as a professional bout, Fury’s title will not go up for grabs. The fight will take place under standard boxing rules.
The fight, which serves as Ngannou’s first official boxing match, was made official just days ago as the one-time UFC heavyweight champion secured the biggest opportunity of his career.
When the matchup was announced, there were few details available, including if the bout would take place as an exhibition or a professional fight. There are still more details to come, including the number of rounds and the size of the gloves Fury and Ngannou will wear on fight night.
Of course, Ngannou seeks to pull off a historic upset while making his boxing debut against arguably one of the best heavyweights of the past few decades.
Fury sports an unblemished 33-0-1 record during his career, including a pair of wins over Deontay Wilder and victories against Dillian Whyte, Derek Chisora and Wladimir Klitschko.
As for Ngannou, he’ll test himself in boxing for the first time after exiting the UFC in free agency following the conclusion of his most recent contract. Ngannou was unable to come to terms with the UFC on a new deal, which resulted in him vacating the heavyweight tiel before eventually inking a new contract with the PFL.
While he’s expected to make his return to MMA in 2024, Ngannou has long sought the chance to compete in boxing, and now he’s manifested the fight with Fury in October. He’ll now look to become the first person to hand Fury a loss in his pro boxing career.
