By Victor Kanayo
Portuguese captain and Al-Nassr hitman, Cristiano Ronaldo, has thrown his weight behind his friend Francis Ngannou ahead of a professional boxing bout against Tyson Fury on Saturday October 28, 2023, in Saudi Arabia.
Incidentally, Ngannou was a special guest to Ronaldo on Wednesday October 24, when Al-Nassr thumped Al Duhail SC 4-3 in the week three of AFC Champions League Game decided at Al Awal Park at King Saud University Riyadh.
Greetings In Saudi
The Cameroonian, who is already in Saudi Arabia for Saturday’s heavyweight boxing fight with Fury, watched the five-time Ballon d’Or winner score two goals and provide an assist for his side.
The 37-year-old later took to his Instagram page to thank Ronaldo saying, “Great to see you this week, my brother Cristiano, and thank you for inviting me and my family out to the Al Nassr game. See you Saturday.”
Ngannou is a professional mixed martial artist and professional boxer, who is currently signed to the Professional Fighters League.
Fury, Ngannou Professional Records
Fury, 35, has held the WBC heavyweight belt since a TKO victory over Deontay Wilder in 2020 and owns a record of 33-0-1.
Ngannou will be making his professional boxing debut but was the UFC heavyweight champion for almost two years with championship wins over Stipe Miocic and Ciryl Gane.
In 20 professional MMA fights, Ngannou holds a record of 17-3 with 12 wins by knockout.
The odds significantly favor Fury, who is ESPN’s sixth-ranked pound-for-pound boxer in the world, while Ngannou is widely considered one of the hardest one-punch power hitters in MMA history, giving him a puncher’s chance.
Though the bout will be considered a 10-round professional fight and not an exhibition, Fury’s WBC championship will not be on the line.
Thereafter, exactly on December 23, 2023, Fury will put that title on the line against WBO, WBA and IBF heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk for the right to be the undisputed heavyweight champion.
