According to former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo had a special role in convincing him to fight heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury.
In early July, Fury confirmed that he would fight Ngannou in Saudi Arabia on October 28. This match will take place according to the official rules of professional boxing with 10 rounds with three referees applying a 10-point scoring system.
At the beginning of the year, Ngannou visited Saudi Arabia and met and talked with Ronaldo. When asked about this meeting during an appearance on The MMA Hour , the Cameroonian boxer revealed: “Yes, that conversation is where I started fighting Fury in Saudi Arabia.”
In another interview with TMZ , Ngannou continued: “We talked happily. Ronaldo said Saudi Arabia is the future. Many people don’t understand, but Saudi Arabia is changing very quickly. I felt the same way when I went there. At that time, I came to this country for the first time and I really didn’t know how to behave. But then I found everything to be great.”
Ronaldo has been getting used to life in Saudi Arabia since January, when he joined Al Nassr on a two-and-a-half-year contract with the highest income in the world of football – about 200 million USD per year including salary and promotion contracts. Last season, he scored 14 goals in 19 games, but Al Nassr finished second in the Saudi Pro League, stopping in the semi-finals of the Saudi Super Cup and the semi-finals of the King Cup.
Ngannou said he has been following Ronaldo for the past 17 years and was surprised by the Portuguese striker’s knowledge of MMA. “At that time, I met in person and discovered that Ronaldo is a huge fan of this sport,” Ngannou said. “That Ronaldo knows a lot about MMA, loves the martial art and watches us play. Ronaldo knows more about me than I expected. Very impressive.”
Ngannou used to be a famous heavyweight MMA fighter. In March 2021, Ngannou knocked out Stipe Miocic at UFC 260 to become the 19th champion in tournament history. In early 2022, the Cameroonian boxer won Ciryl Gane to successfully defend the title for the first time. Ngannou’s contract with UFC expired in December 2022 and could not negotiate a new contract, thereby being stripped of the heavyweight championship.
Also on The MMA Hour , Ngannou confirmed that the fight against Fury alone made him more money than his entire UFC career. Also according to the Cameroonian boxer, his contract with Fury has a rematch clause.
Ngannou (left) will challenge Fury – the boxer nicknamed “Gypsy King” in a heavy boxing match on October 28 in Saudi Arabia. Photo: MMA Junkie
According to MMA Salaries , Ngannou’s total income from MMA fights is $3.7 million. In which, he collected the largest amount – $ 580,000 – when he defeated Stipe Miocic at UFC 260 to win the UFC heavyweight belt. Meanwhile, Ngannou is expected to pocket at least $ 10 million from the fight in Saudi Arabia on October 28, which is more than double the income from his UFC career.