Fury admits he barely trained for Ngannou, calling their 2023 bout 'just an exhibition'

Tyson Fury has admitted he was severely underprepared for his October 2023 crossover boxing match against Francis Ngannou, revealing he mentally categorised the bout as an exhibition rather than a genuine fight — a mindset that nearly ended in disaster when Ngannou knocked him down in the third round.

Speaking in an interview with ALF Global, Fury explained that his lack of urgency in the build-up had nothing to do with underestimating Ngannou’s ability, but rather how he framed the contest in his own mind.

“No, I didn’t not train for him because I didn’t think he was a good fighter,” Fury said. “I knew he was a good fighter, but to me it’s levels to boxing. When you do an exhibition fight, play, it wasn’t really a fight. It wasn’t, in my mind, a fight, it’s just an exhibition, a game. To him, to Ngannou, it was, ‘Aaaah, big fight, I fight Tyson Fury!’ To me, it was play, a game.”

Ngannou — competing in his first professional boxing match — landed a thunderous punch in Round 3 that sent Fury to the canvas. Fury beat the count and ground out a split decision victory over the remaining seven rounds, though the result was widely disputed by fans and the broader fighting community.

Fury was also asked to compare Ngannou’s punching power to that of Deontay Wilder, who famously appeared to knock Fury out cold in their first meeting in 2018 before Fury rose miraculously and salvaged a split draw. Fury gave Wilder the clear edge.

“Ngannou’s a strong guy, big guy, but he doesn’t punch like Wilder,” Fury said. “No way.”

Ngannou’s creditable showing against Fury earned him a second high-profile boxing outing in March 2024, when he faced Anthony Joshua. That fight went badly for the Cameroonian, who was knocked out in dominant fashion by Joshua in the second round.

The crossover boxing trend has drawn in several MMA names in recent years. Conor McGregor lost to the undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a blockbuster 2017 matchup, while UFC legend Anderson Silva has recorded knockout wins over Tyron Woodley and Tito Ortiz since moving into boxing in 2021. Former UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria is among those who have expressed interest in making a similar switch.

Fury said he welcomes any fighter with the profile to sell a bout, arguing that modern combat sports are driven as much by star power as by athletic pedigree.

“I think if they’re popular and they’re famous, then they can cross over into any other fight sport because it’s about popularity today,” Fury said. “How many tickets they can sell, how many views they can generate — I think it’s good.”