The latest chapter in the crossover boxing boom is about to drop. A pair of heavyweight champions will collide inside the ring Saturday night at the Boulevard Hall in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, when WBC and lineal heavyweight king Tyson Fury meets former UFC heavyweight titleholder Francis Ngannou.
Fury, one of the heavyweight division’s most decorated champions, has been considering retirement for the past few years, as plans to build a unification bout with Anthony Joshua and later with Oleksandr Usyk stalled. As he stopped both Dillian Whyte and Derek Chisora in 2022, his last two bouts were not championship worthy in the eyes of many. Now, if he wins on Saturday, he and Ushik have signed contracts for a meeting in December. – The belt is the undisputed champion.
Ngannou, meanwhile, has his own unique story to reach this point. After successfully defending the heavyweight crown against Cyril Kane in January 2022, he walked out of his contract with the UFC. After leaving the organization, Nagano went out on his own to secure a better contract and hope to land a dream boxing match.
He can check the latter off his bucket list when he takes a Saturday night walk.
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The undercard doesn’t do much when it comes to casual fans watching for the expected spectacle in the main event. But all the fights before Fury and Nagano hit the ring are heavyweight matches with some names that hardcore fans will recognize. Fabio Wardley and David Adele are the main supports for the main event. Additionally, former WBO heavyweight champ Joseph Parker is back in action when he takes on Simon Keane. And veteran Carlos Tagam hit the ring once again as he battled Martin Pacol.
Action begins on ESPN+ pay-per-view at 2 p.m. The full fight card is listed below with odds and complete viewing information.
Viewing information
- Date: October 28 | Start Time: 2 p.m. ET (highlights 5 p.m. ET)
- Location: Boulevard Hall — Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- How to watch: ESPN+ PPV ($79.99)
Fury vs. Ngannou fight card, odds
| Dyson Fury -1400 | Francis Nagano +750 | Heavy |
| Fabio Wardley -310 | David Adele +230 | Heavy |
| Joseph Parker -1200 | Simon Keane +600 | Heavy |
| Martin Pacol -750 | Charles Thirst +4 | Heavy |
Who wins vs. Francis Naginno vs. Tyson Fury, and which stalemate is forced to backfire? For Peter Kahn’s best bets for Saturday, visit SportsLineFind out all from the boxing pro who has earned his followers nearly $4,000.
