Arguably the biggest heavyweight fight of the year is set for Saudi Arabia later this month as world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury takes on former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou.
Fury hasn't fought yet this year with his last title defense coming against Derek Chisora in December 2022, while Ngannou will have his first professional boxing bout in this fight as he tries to prove he is the baddest man on the planet.
We'll take a look at the matchup and provide you with our best free boxing betting picks to see if we can earn you some extra cash while you enjoy the action.
| Boxing |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tyson Fury | -900 | -900 | -800 |
| Francis Ngannou | +550 | +550 | +525 |
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Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou information
- Saturday, October 28th 2023
- Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Heavyweight
- 10 x 3 minute rounds
- Non-title fight
Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou odds
- Tyson Fury - (-800)
- Francis Ngannou - (+550)
While you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who expects Ngannou to be the man to end Fury's undefeated professional record in boxing, this is a fight that will have millions of keen eyes watching to see what happens.
Fury has a professional record of 33-0-1 with 23 knockouts, including in his last four outings against Deontay Wilder (x2), Dillian White and Derek Chisora. Prior to that he beat Otto Wallin via unanimous decision and Tom Schwarz via knockout after a controversial split draw in the first of his three fights with Wilder.
You can get Fury as a -800 favorite to win the fight, meaning you must stake $800 to earn a $100 profit.
On the other side of the ring will be Ngannou, a mixed-martial-arts world champion with the most powerful punch ever recorded according to the Guinness Book of World Records.
Prior to leaving the UFC due to a contract dispute at the end of 2022, Ngannou was on a six-fight win streak with five of those coming via knockout. He defeated Curtis Blaydes, Junior Dos Santos, Cain Velasquez and Jairzinho Rozenstruik to earn a second title shot, before knocking out Stipe Miocic to win the belt.
He then successfully defended the title against former teammate Ciryl Gane in a unanimous decision, before leaving the company and being stripped of the belt.
Ngannou is a huge underdog coming into this fight with odds of +550, meaning you can earn $550 for every $100 you stake.
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Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou preview
This is the classic power vs technique match-up, but people are also forgetting just how big the levels are in elite boxing and Fury has got power of his own.
At 6ft 9, Fury is a giant of a man and despite his less than glorious physique he is always in tip-top condition with the cardio to go the full 12 rounds whenever necessary, and always being active in the process across the three-minute rounds.
Ngannou comes into this fight with no professional boxing experience, but he isn't an MMA fighter who is well-known for kicks or grappling. He made his name taking people's heads off with his fists, and has the basics down well when it comes to striking with his lunch-box hands.
But Fury is among the all-time greats when it comes to boxing, and that's important. He will circle the ring with lateral movement and use his long, flicking jab to upset the rhythm of Ngannou while also working the body and pressuring him to test his cardio.
Ngannou will have to start fast and hard to go for the knockout, because when it comes to boxing he doesn't have the advantage in any facet outside of power. But he will have to be patient enough to wait for his moment otherwise he could blow his load early and find himself in danger.
Boxing picks: Fury gets the finish
Ngannou will be keen to make a point that he has a place in the boxing world, but he's way out of his depth in this bout against the world heavyweight champion.
Fury has reportedly already signed a deal to fight Oleksandr Usyk in either December or January in an undisputed world heavyweight championship fight, meaning he is probably looking ahead of Ngannou and not taking this fight too seriously at all.
That means he is likely to come out and make a statement, and as he showed against Wilder three times now he isn't afraid against the most powerful of punchers and has the ability to give back as well as he takes.
Fury has excellent combinations and deceiving power of his own, and with 10-ounce gloves he can do some serious damage. Expect the champion to work the body and then as we get to the middle rounds to start pouring the pressure on and claim a TKO victory when Ngannou can't get away or land the big killer shot.
Check out our review for Bovada sports betting here.
