Tyson Fury downplays Mike Tyson training Francis Ngannou saying: Everyone has a plan until they’re punched in the face
TYSON FURY is unfazed by Mike Tyson training Francis Ngannou for their upcoming clash in Saudi Arabia.
WBC heavyweight champion Fury, 35, will step inside the ropes to take on former UFC heavyweight king Ngannou, 37, in a boxing contest on October 28.
Tyson Fury, left, will face Francis Ngannou, right, in a boxing clash next monthGetty
The US SunMike Tyson, above, is helping Ngannou train for the Fury fight[/caption]
Fury is an overwhelming favourite heading into the fight given he is unbeaten in 34 professional boxing bouts and Ngannou is making his debut.
In a bid to give himself the best possible chance, Ngannou has enlisted the help of legendary heavyweight champion Tyson, 57.
Fury’s father John named him after Tyson in the hope he would follow in his footsteps by becoming a world champion.
Yet while Fury has a great deal of respect for Tyson – who he first met in 2016 – he does not believe his involvement in Ngannou’s training camp will have any impact on the outcome of the fight.
And he used one of Tyson’s most iconic phrases – ‘Everyone’s got a plan until they get punched in the face’ – to make his point.
Speaking to The Mail, Fury said: “Mike Tyson is a great guy. He is a living legend in sport. He is a living legend in boxing. He’s got a lot of knowledge on boxing, I think he will teach Francis a lot.
“But, I don’t [think] it would matter who trained Ngannou for this fight. He’s got to fight Tyson Fury and I’m not an easy opponent for anybody no matter who is training you.
“So yeah, everyone’s got a plan until they get punched in the face. That’s exactly what’s going to happen to Ngannou when I fight him.
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“He’s going to have this big plan and then he’s going to get punched in the face and it’s going to go all out the window.”
Ngannou last fought in January 2022 when he made the last defence of his UFC crown against Ciryl Gane in the octagon, winning by unanimous decision.
But he is now embarking on a new challenge as he steps into a pro boxing ring for the first time.
And he is buoyed by the help Tyson is offering him.
He said: “Having Mike Tyson present just makes you realise what is happening. You know that you have a fight and obviously you are serious about it but it seems like there is something missing.
“You’re like ‘Okay I have a fight but what else do I need’. Then you have Mike Tyson and he’s basically like the biggest boxing figure.
“It makes me think ‘Oh man, this is serious, very very serious. It doesn’t get more serious than this’.
“That alone brings you a lot of motivation. Even when you’re tired, even when you’re done for the day, I’m like ‘Man one more. I want to do one more’. I’m like ‘I just want to be like that man’. So all that stuff, has helped me mentally already.
“Then of course, there is the technical aspect that he is bringing too. We all know how technical Mike Tyson was so obviously having his tips and hearing from him is very helpful for me.
“I won’t have his boxing style but I can definitely learn a lot from him.”
