Ronaldo encourages former UFC champion to fight Tyson Fury

According to former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo played a special role in convincing him to fight heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury.

In early July, Fury confirmed that he would fight Ngannou in Saudi Arabia on October 28. The fight will be held under official professional boxing rules with 10 rounds and three judges using a 10-point scoring system.

Earlier this year, Ngannou visited Saudi Arabia and met and talked with Ronaldo. When asked about this meeting during an appearance on The MMA Hour , the Cameroonian revealed: "Yes, that conversation was the starting point for me to fight Fury in Saudi Arabia."

Ronaldo was friendly with Ngannou during their meeting in Saudi Arabia in January. Photo: Instagram / cristiano

In another interview with TMZ , Ngannou continued: "We had a good conversation. Ronaldo said Saudi Arabia is the future. A lot of people don't understand, but Saudi Arabia is changing very quickly. I felt the same way when I went there. At that time, I was in this country for the first time and I really didn't know how to behave. But then I saw everything was great."

Ronaldo has been settling into life in Saudi Arabia since January, when he joined Al Nassr on a two-and-a-half-year contract that is the highest-paid in world football – around $200 million a year in salary and endorsements. Last season, he scored 14 goals in 19 games, but Al Nassr finished second in the Saudi Pro League, and fell short in the semi-finals of the Saudi Super Cup and the semi-finals of the King's Cup.

Ngannou said he has been following Ronaldo for the past 17 years and was surprised by the Portuguese striker's knowledge of MMA. "When I met him in person, I found out that Ronaldo was a big fan of the sport ," Ngannou said. "That Ronaldo knew a lot about MMA, loved it and watched us compete. Ronaldo knew more about me than I expected. It was very impressive."

Ngannou was once a famous heavyweight MMA fighter. In March 2021, Ngannou knocked out Stipe Miocic at UFC 260 to become the 19th champion in the history of the tournament. In early 2022, the Cameroonian fighter won by points against Ciryl Gane to successfully defend the championship belt for the first time. Ngannou's contract with UFC expired in December 2022 and he was unable to negotiate a new contract, thereby being stripped of the heavyweight championship belt.

Also on The MMA Hour , Ngannou confirmed that the fight with Fury alone earned him more money than his entire UFC career. According to the Cameroonian, his contract with Fury includes a rematch clause.

Ngannou (left) will challenge Fury - the boxer nicknamed "King of Gangsters" in a heavyweight boxing match on October 28 in Saudi Arabia. Photo: MMA Junkie

According to MMA Salaries , Ngannou's total earnings from MMA matches are $3.7 million. Of which, he earned the largest amount - $580,000 - when he defeated Stipe Miocic at UFC 260 to win the UFC heavyweight title. Meanwhile, Ngannou is expected to pocket at least $10 million from his fight in Saudi Arabia on October 28, which is more than double his earnings from his UFC career.

Hong Duy

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