UFC president Dana White is not on board with the potential crossover bout between Francis Ngannou and Tyson Fury.
Following his recent win over Dillian Whyte at Wembley Stadium, boxing’s WBC heavyweight champion Fury stood shoulder-to-shoulder with UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou inside the boxing ring as both men answered questions about the potential bout. Both fighters appear to want the fight to take place and seem confident that it can come together in the near future. White, however, does not agree with the possibility.
“That fight’s definitely not a lock,” White said on The Pat McAfee Show. “… They’ve been talking about it and everything. I mean, guys, Fury is the best boxer – one of the greatest boxers of all time. I mean, you look at the guys he’s beaten and how easily he’s beating them. I don’t know, we’ll see how this whole thing plays out.
“I don’t love the crossover fights. I don’t love ’em.”
This particular fight between Ngannou and Fury would potentially take place with a hybrid ruleset, although the details have yet to be agreed upon by both sides. White was asked to clarify why he doesn’t love the prospect of his heavyweight champ facing off against the best from the boxing world, and didn’t mince in his response.
“‘Cause they’re f*ckin’ stupid,” White said. “F*cking waste of time, energy, and money. …It’s silly, but I get it.
“… Boxing is a massive advantage for Tyson Fury. Ngannou just wrestled Ciryl Gane. … If you know anything about fighting, it’s a silly conversation.”
White’s position is quite the contrast from when a boxing match between former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor and boxing legend Floyd Mayweather began building momentum and ultimately took place in 2017. The result of that bout could have played a role in souring White to other crossover fights like it in the future, but ultimately, it comes down to what the public wants, according to the UFC boss.
“The thing was, the Floyd-Conor fight took on a life of its own,” White explained. “I mean, everywhere I went that’s all people were asking me about. It got to a point where fans wanted to see that fight and the media wanted to see that fight, and you know me. People aren’t knocking our door down for this fight.”
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