Francis Ngannou will find out that brute force isn’t enough to beat Tyson Fury

To successfully persuade the public to buy into the upcoming crossover fight between Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou, the respective promoters have had to sell the former UFC champion’s punching power. Without Ngannou’s supposed secret weapon, this would essentially be a match between the greatest boxer of his generation and a man who has never boxed professionally before. In other words, the outcome wouldn't be hard to predict.

The reality facing Ngannou 

While the promoters may be keen to push a narrative that focuses on this being a compelling contest, there is no getting away from the fact that the latest Tyson Fury v Francis Ngannou betting odds price the Cameroonian-French fighter at +700 to win the bout in Saudi Arabia. 

Conversely, the most recent Paddy Power boxing odds for the fight list Fury at 1/12 to beat Ngannou.

The broader takeaway here is that Ngannou’s power is not expected to stand up to the array of unique skills that Fury possesses. 

Fury's artistry 

The biggest obstacle that Ngannou will face against Fury is trying to stay patient while his opponent slips and slides around the ring. The Englishman is an expert at evading punches which has in the past, led to fighters abandoning their pre-fight strategy in a desperate attempt to land a shot. The moment a fighter’s discipline breaks down is the time when Fury is at his most dangerous as a weakened defense offers the Englishman a path to victory.

The 35-year-old’s precision striking then comes into the equation with an opponent not only frustrated but also hurt as Fury begins to land punches at ease. When a fight gets to this stage against Fury, the writing is always on the wall with the boxer able to power through the gears as he searches for the knockout blow. 

For boxing purists, Fury’s ability to remain in complete control of a fight despite facing a barrage of punches is a testament to his generational talent and the ultimate reason why the WBC champion has remained unbeaten in his career to date.

The bottom line is that more experienced boxers than Ngannou have tried and failed to force the Englishman into a misstep that would give them the upper hand. 

Fury's will to win 

The only exception is Deontay Wilder who was able to entice Fury into dropping his guard during their fist fight at the Staples Center in Los Angeles in 2018. The result was that Fury fell to the canvas but crucially, he wasn't defeated. Indeed, the American’s 12th-round punch looked to have won him the fight but Fury was able to miraculously rise to his feet before the count of ten.

Again, this historical moment is worth reflecting on when considering that Ngannou’s chances of victory against Fury rely on his knockout power. However, if Wilder - who is considered to be the hardest puncher in combat sports, wasn’t able to knock Fury out, then the truth is that Ngannou is going find it extremely difficult.

You might then ask how anyone beats a man who is seemingly impossible to outbox while also being able to withstand the hardest punches. The answer is that no one has been able to beat Fury to date and Ngannou will soon find out that it takes a lot more than brute force to trouble this once-in-a-lifetime talent.

Cover Credits: PlanetSport.com