Mike Tyson is getting back in the ring (or at least back by ringside).
Michael Benson of talkSport.com reported on Friday that the retired heavyweight legend Tyson will be training Francis Ngannou for Ngannou’s upcoming boxing match against Tyson Fury. The bout will take place on Oct. 28 in Saudi Arabia. While not technically an exhibition fight, the Ngannou-Fury showdown will not be for Fury’s heavyweight title either.
Ngannou posted a video with Tyson to his Instagram Story on Friday. The two also appeared together on ESPN’s “First Take” to discuss the Fury fight.
The 36-year-old Ngannou, who will be making his professional boxing debut, needs all the help that he can get against Fury, the undefeated boxer who has been the WBC heavyweight champion since 2020. But Ngannou is a former UFC heavyweight champion himself and is renowned for his striking ability (with 12 of his 17 career MMA victories coming by way of knockout). He also trained as a boxer before his MMA career and once set a world record for the hardest punch ever recorded (at the UFC Performance Institute in 2017).
As for Tyson, 57, he recently began dipping his toe back into the world of boxing. The former undisputed heavyweight champion fought contemporary Roy Jones Jr. to a split-decision draw in a 2020 exhibition bout. Tyson also continues to dish out the smoke outside of the ring and should have plenty of helpful tips to offer to Ngannou.
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