Ahead of Riyadh Season fight, iconic fighters Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou face-off

Ahead of their showdown in Riyadh on October 28, heavyweight champions Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou faced off for the very first time.

The titans are set to fight in Saudi Arabia’s capital city for the title of “Baddest Man on the Planet” to commence Riyadh Season, one of the world’s biggest annual entertainment events.

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The mega-fight will take place under the official rules of professional boxing, with three judges ringside adopting the 10-point must system.

Speaking at the press conference held in London, the Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA) Turki Al al-Sheikh said: “We chose to launch Riyadh Season this year with a historic event between a boxing champion and a UFC world champion. A lot of preparation has gone into this match [to make it a fight] that has never been done before and it will be different.”

#BattleOfTheBaddest#RiyadhSeason pic.twitter.com/2PKg2x9LSU

— TURKI ALALSHIKH (@Turki_alalshikh) September 7, 2023

Both fighters have promised to meet in the middle of the ring, go to war, and win by knockout in a truly devastating fashion.

Speaking at the press conference, undefeated Lineal and WBC heavyweight champion of the world, Fury said: “It is a very special event for me, and it is a special time for sports where a powerhouse like Saudi Arabia is coming and in taking over the game, football, boxing, whatever you want. I think within five or ten years, they will be the powerhouse of all sports. All the biggest sports events will be held in Saudi Arabia.”

#BattleOfTheBaddest#RiyadhSeason pic.twitter.com/VP8i436L5u

— TURKI ALALSHIKH (@Turki_alalshikh) September 7, 2023

He continued, “I am absolutely honored to be fighting Francis. He is going to be a real challenge. I cannot wait. It is going to be a fantastic event.”

For his part, former UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou said: “History is about to be made in Riyadh on October 28. It is something I did not see coming even though my dream was always there. It will be one of the biggest events the world. It is not just a fight; we are going to be opening up Riyadh Season. So, it is a cultural event, and we are just making this fight bigger and bigger.”

Millions of fans are expected to tune in to watch the “The Gypsy King” go up against “The Predator” to determine the true Heavyweight King.

The fight will also see the toughest chin in boxing tested by ‘the Most Powerful Punch’ in the world, as confirmed by the Guinness World Records.

An agreement was reached with Queensberry, Top Rank and Ngannou’s promotional banner, GIMIK Fight Promotions, to partner with Riyadh Season to host the event.

Since the launch of the Riyadh Season in 2019, the festival has welcomed visitors from all over the world to experience thousands of concerts, sporting events, dining experiences and other unique cultural events. This year, Riyadh Season will commence with a spectacular opening ceremony and the historic boxing match between Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou.

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