Dana White gives controversial take on Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou fight

Although Dana White loves ‘The Gypsy King’, he had some interesting opinions on the prospect of Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou.

The Brit and ‘The Predator’ have teased moves to each other’s sports throughout their respective careers. But in recent times, the traction for a match-up between the WBC World Champion and the UFC Heavyweight King has gained momentum.

Before his contest against Ciryl Gane, the pair indulged in a heated back-and-forth on social media. Fury posted a cryptic image of a fan designed poster and asked his 2.1 million followers if they would like to see the spectacle play out in the ring.

The fans responded emphatically, and unsurprisingly the Cameroonian power-puncher furiously hit back. He tweeted: “After I handle business on January 22, I’ll fight you under any special ruleset you want. In a ring, an octagon or a phone booth.”

Although Fury’s remarkable movement and sublime technical ability would likely leave Ngannou chasing shadows, you can’t blame the martial artist for wanting to test his skills in the ring. For one, he possesses the world record for the hardest punch. His right hand allegedly strikes at a staggering 96 horsepower, which is equivalent to getting hit by a Ford Escort going as fast as possible.

But more importantly, the MMA icon wants the paycheques that come with fighting in the squared circle. As per ESPN, Fury made upwards of $25 million for his trilogy bout with Deontay Wilder. In contrast, Ngannou only took home $600,000 for his title defence at UFC 270.

However, despite his eagerness to put his hands on the supremely-skilled boxer, he looks unlikely to get the opportunity. UFC President Dana White has never seemed overly keen on making the bout, and a recent interview has only lowered expectations further.

Read: Tyson Fury sends a message to the Klitschko brothers and Ukrainian boxers fighting Russia.

Will Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou happen?

On March 17, the businessman poured water on the proposed match-up. The American doesn’t believe that the rumoured collision makes sense.

In an interview with Talk Sport, he said: “That fight is nowhere near the same f***ing universe as Mayweather vs McGregor. Mayweather and McGregor is the biggest pay-per-view of all-time.”

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Although his comments will undoubtedly dampen the hopes of fans who wanted to see the bout, White did have something positive to say.

He said: “I’ve heard a lot about Dillian Whyte, but I don’t know enough about him. I don’t want to disrespect him one way or another just because I don’t know enough. But I just don’t know if I see anybody beating Tyson Fury right now.

“I think Tyson Fury is the man. I love the guy. He’s a great dude. I’ve known Tyson now for five or six years now. When he started talking smack about fighting over here [UFC], that was when we first met. He’s a great guy, and I’m really happy for him.”

Although White won’t let Ngannou fight in the ring, he might let The Gypsy King step in the cage. The 6 ft 9 giant has posted his martial arts training footage on many occasions. So if he ever gets the urge to test himself, the door’s wide open.

Featured Image Credit: Getty

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