Tyson Fury v Francis Ngannou Betting Tips:
Fury to Win in Round 5 – 6
Fury to Win in Round 6 & Ngannou to be Knocked Down in Round 5
Fury to be Knocked Down in either of Rounds 1 or 2
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change
This weekend the heavyweight boxing champion of the world takes on MMA’s greatest big man in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – it’s weird, it’s wonderful, and we’ve got the rundown on the fighters, the event, and, of course, the best betting tips.
Tyson Fury v Francis Ngannou
Saturday, 10pm
TV: TNT Sports Box Office
The boxing nuts and the MMA hardcore are calling this event a circus, and literally speaking they are correct – when you tune in on Saturday night expect to see trapeze artists, fire eaters, performers of all varieties, and a bit of boxing somewhere in the mix.
Yes, Fury should be defending his title against worthy challenger Oleksandr Usyk, and yes, Ngannou needs to beat Jon Jones in the UFC to be truly considered the best heavyweight in MMA, but the Saudi government needed something open ‘Riyadh Season’, so they spent a fortune on a crossover bout.
The rules are 10 three-minute rounds of boxing, so kicks, grappling and all types of crazy chokes are not allowed – tilting the balance firmly in Fury’s favour. The bout is licensed professional boxing, but Tyson’s pretty green and gold belt is not on the line.
Becoming the world heavyweight champ was Francis’ dream when he was a kid, so the motivation for him to have this fight is clear, for Fury we have to assume the motivation is money, which, to be fair, there is a lot of.
Let’s not beat around the bush, this is a world champion versus a debutant. Jake Paul has spent the last three years demonstrating that MMA experience isn’t that relevant to boxing, and Paddy happens to agree – Tyson is an absolutely huge betting favourite.
FURY TO WIN IN ROUND 5 – 6
It seems that Mike Tyson – the former baddest man on the planet – has had a pivotal role in the lives of these two boxers and even this fight. Fury, 35, was named after the former champ, while Francis, 37, idolised the American when he caught glimpses of him as a poor kid growing up in Cameroon.
Now ‘Iron’ Mike is training Ngannou to beat the best heavyweight boxer of a generation. Mike and Francis aren’t physically similar, and the New Yorker had to almost always fight bigger men, but on this occasion the 6’4’’ former UFC star will be looking up at the 6’9’’ Fury.
Mike will be working on strategies for Ngannou to set up his massive power punches – move quickly into range, use upper body and head movement, and change the level of his punches. The problem for the African fighter is that he doesn’t have a life-time to perfect these movements, unlike Mike and Fury.
The other issue for big Francis is his gas tank – in his 14 contests in the UFC he had an average fight time of seven minutes, so just over a round in MMA and just over two in boxing, and he’s never knocked out an opponent after round 2. Add to that the extra weight in boxing gloves, and that you need to hold your hands higher and throw a higher volume of punches.
I think Fury will take a look at Ngannou, get a read on some of his reactions, wait for Ngannou to gas and resort to head-hunting, and then take him out – I like the bet on Fury to win in rounds 5-6.
FURY TO WIN IN ROUND 6 & NGANNOU TO BE KNOCKED DOWN IN ROUND 5
The group round betting odds are good but if we want a big price boost we need to go looking in #WhatOddsPaddy for something more specific.
Since his first fight with Deontay Wilder, Fury has won all six bouts, five of them by stoppage. The man who would once jab his way to a safe decision win now goes after the early victory, and it gives me confidence that he won’t carry Ngannou for too long.
Despite the new tactics, Tyson still isn’t a one-punch KO artist and he often drops his opponents before the referee saves the other man from taking more of a beating – as we saw in the Wilder fights. You can back Fury to score a knockdown in round five and then a stoppage win in round six at a very nice price.
FURY TO BE KNOCKED DOWN IN EITHER OF ROUNDS 1 OR 2
You’ve heard about the famous “puncher’s chance”, but honestly Ngannou doesn’t really even have that. He does have a small chance of catching Fury off balance early on and getting a knockdown scored in his favour.
We’ve seen that Fury doesn’t always have his mind on the job – he was dropped twice early in his career by lesser known heavyweights Steve Cunningham and Neven Pajkic, but he’s always managed to come back and win.
Ngannou is a hellacious puncher and he has a highlight reel of stunning KOs – check out the Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Alistair Overeem finishes – and an early knockdown for the man from Cameroon is worth a punt.
Tyson Fury v Francis Ngannou Betting Tips:
Fury to Win in Round 5 – 6
Fury to Win in Round 6 & Ngannou to be Knocked Down in Round 5
Fury to be Knocked Down in either of Rounds 1 or 2
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change
Read More
- Paddy Power News has your knockout boxing betting tips
- Boxing Tips: 5 things to ponder ahead of Tyson Fury v Francis Ngannou
- Tyson Fury v Oleksandr Usyk fight date, ring-walk time, undercard, odds and tips
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