Tyson Fury didn’t perform to his best against Francis Ngannou as the WBC heavyweight champion hit the canvas early on.
His UK promoter has since explained the reason for Fury’s sub-par efforts in a close decision victory.
Frank Warren lamented the lack of video footage of Ngannou in the boxing ring, a major contributor to the contest.
Warren added that now Fury has experience facing the former UFC champion, “The Gypsy King,” and will be a lot better in the rematch.
Why did Tyson Fury struggle against Francis Ngannou?
“There was no video footage to look at of Ngannou in a ring,” Warren told The MMA Hour. “All you could look at him of was in an MMA match, in UFC as it was.
“When I looked at that, I could see him as a tough guy. He’s a big competitor. He’s strong, so I knew what was coming in the clinches or whatever.
“Tyson, as he’s fought in his last four fights, where he stood toe-to-toe with people and slugged it out in some cases, like he did with Deontay Wilder, he didn’t do what he used to do in the past.
“What he used to do was to get up on his toes and box, use his jab. He stood there and traded with him. I thought that I didn’t want him getting in these clinches with Ngannou if they did that.
“I felt that he’d be used to that. But when that first bell went, and he came out, and I watched as he shaped up, I thought to myself, ‘Oh, this is not what I’m expecting. This is not.’
“Normally, MMA guys, they’re a bit more square on. He actually had the stance of a boxer, could jab, and was switch-hitting.
“After a couple of rounds, I believed Tyson was winning, but I thought, ‘This is not going to be the job that everybody’s saying it’s going to be.’”
Lack of training
Fury’s father, John, spoke to Metro about the lack of training, which he believed was evident.
‘He didn’t look right. Everything had changed about him: his demeanor, his body. I was puzzled,” said John.
“He said he had been training, but there is training, and there is training. If you’re going at your own pace, no one will tell you; otherwise, no one will offend you or kick you up the backside.
“No one can teach Tyson how to box or teach him more than he knows. All they can do is put some muscle on there and make his body rock solid.
“For my money, he looked fat-thin. He should have been better, a bit heavier with a lot more muscle. Tyson is a mammoth fella.
“He needs to power up in the body department, and the only way you do that is a proper course, and they take time, and we don’t have the time.”
Fury vs Ngannou 2 is expected to occur in 2025 after Oleksandr Usyk gets two chances at the undisputed crown.
