Fury teases hybrid fight vs. Ngannou moments after hinting at retirement
Warning: Videos contain coarse language
If Tyson Fury really is retiring, it might be a short break.
Moments after hinting at retirement following his sixth-round knockout win over Dillian Whyte at Wembley Stadium, the "Gypsy King" brought UFC heavyweight titleholder Francis Ngannou into the ring to tease plans for a future hybrid fight between the combat sport champions.
Both fighters hinted that the bout will feature special rules to combine their respective disciplines.
Fury and Ngannou talk hybrid fight.#FuryvsWhyte pic.twitter.com/KaBgGW1Ckb
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) April 23, 2022
Though no date has been set, Ngannou said they'll square off at some point next year, potentially in Africa.
"By the end of this year ... we're gonna sort it out," Ngannou said.
"Definitely sometime next year. 2023. That fight will happen!"
— UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc) April 23, 2022
"Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou in Africa. The Rumble in the Jungle 2!"@francis_ngannou is adamant the @Tyson_Fury fight will happen! 👀#FuryWhyte pic.twitter.com/h4wuQGGsvO
Though he seems ready to try a new challenge against Ngannou, Fury hinted that his professional boxing career might be over following his latest victory. The 33-year-old has now successfully defended his WBC and "The Ring" heavyweight belts twice and is a lifetime 32-0-1 in the ring. He'd previously dropped hints about retiring leading into Saturday's fight.
Ngannou, 35, last fought in January when he defended and unified his UFC heavyweight title with a unanimous-decision win over Ciryl Gane. "The Predator" is a lifetime 17-3 in the octagon, with 12 victories coming via knockout and four by way of submission.