Francis Ngannou coach explains ‘creative’ ways MMA star can beat Tyson Fury

October 2, 2023

Some fans have compared Ngannou’s punching power to that of Deontay Wilder, who knocked down Fury four times in three fights but could only manage a controversial draw and two losses against the Briton, 35.

“Here’s the thing,” said Nicksick. “Wilder might look wild, he might not be as technical as [some boxers], but I think just having a little bit of erratic motion, things that you may not be accustomed to and [don’t] look as clean, that’s right where I think clean boxers get hit. We call them ‘boogers’ in the gym.

“It’s not a term of disrespect. It’s just like… When you watch two guys who are very, very technical fighters, they just are working on this sharpness of technique back and forth. Whereas if you put a technical fighter against a booger, he’s not used to that erratic motion and stuff coming from different angles and different stances. Doing all this stuff that we do within MMA, I think it’s going to be key for us – to not try to outbox Tyson Fury.

“I think if we get in a situation where it’s like, ‘Hey, we’re going to out-technique this guy,’ we’re going to be in trouble. It’s up to us to come up with creative ways on how to approach this.”

Fury, left, will not put his WBC title on the line against Ngannou

Ngannou, 37, relinquished the UFC heavyweight title upon leaving the MMA promotion in January, and he has not fought since January 2022, when he retained the belt with a points win against Ciryl Gane – a former teammate – using a surprising, wrestling-based gameplan.

Francis Ngannou coach explains ‘creative’ ways MMA star can beat Tyson Fury

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