Francis Ngannou has made a significant decision concerning Mike Tyson in the lead-up to his highly anticipated bout against Anthony Joshua next FRIDAY.
This fight marks Ngannou’s return to the boxing ring after his notable performance against Tyson Fury, where he knocked down the WBC titleholder despite facing a controversial decision.
Ngannou, transitioning from the UFC, has excluded the legendary ‘Iron’ Mike from his training camp for the clash with Joshua, aiming to make his mark in the boxing world.
In preparation for his bout against Fury last October, Ngannou had enlisted Tyson’s assistance, with the boxing icon providing valuable advice during the training sessions and attending the fight in Riyadh.
However, for his upcoming match against Joshua, Ngannou revealed that Tyson’s involvement has been limited. He stated, “To be honest with this fight since my training was here [Riyadh], we didn’t get Mike Tyson here.
He came in like three times [for Fury], he was more advising. He would come and watch our training, he would be there to give advice.”
Ngannou’s trainer, Dewey Cooper, shed light on Tyson’s connection with the fighter and the decision not to have him physically present this time. Cooper explained, “Well, Mike is his family to us. Mike and I have been friends since the 90s.
He used to come to my fights and show me support and love, and Francis talked about this over four years ago. Before Francis won the heavyweight championship in the UFC, Mike Tyson was his inspiration to want to do this boxing thing.”
Despite Tyson’s absence from the training camp, the special relationship between Ngannou and Tyson endures with ongoing communication and motivation. Ngannou, aiming to secure victory over Joshua, could potentially set the stage for an undisputed showdown against the winner of Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk, following in the footsteps of the boxing legend he sought inspiration from.
