Will Francis Ngannou Show Boxing Potential?

No one is expecting Francis Ngannou to actually win this fight. It's hard to even make an argument that it will be competitive. Ngannou is a lethal striker in the world of MMA, but he's a boxing neophyte.

Ngannou isn't just jumping into the deep end of the pool. He's being plunged into the depths of a shark-infested ocean. But it's a fight that he has been eyeing up for a long time.

"I've been waiting on Tyson Fury for four years," Ngannou said, per Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports. "At the time, I didn't know about Oleksandr Usyk. When the opportunity came, I wanted Tyson Fury. He's the guy."

The question is whether Ngannou can demonstrate enough boxing potential that there's interest in him doing something like this again. Ngannou's desire to box was a driving force in his decision to leave the UFC and pursue other options.

He ultimately left for the Professional Fighters League which stipulated in his contract that he would also be allowed to box.

Whether this is just a one time thing largely depends on Ngannou at least having pockets of success against Fury.

Will this Fight Draw Interest to Fury vs. Usyk?

If you need any concrete proof that Tyson Fury isn't sweating this matchup look no further than his calendar. He has a tentative December 23 date set for a title fight against Oleksandr Usyk that will also take place in Riyadh.

So what's the purpose of fighting a former UFC champion with no boxing experience just months before a legitimate championship fight?

Money, is of course the answer, but this is theoretically an opportunity for Fury to elevate his stock and awareness with a new audience.

If he's able to put on a show and win convincingly over Ngannou he could add more fans and generate more excitement for his upcoming bout with Usyk. Conversely, a poor showing here could point toward real trouble for the champion come December.

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