Home/Boxing

USA Today via Reuters

USA Today via Reuters

The clock ticks an anxious beat, leading to one of the most spoken-about boxing fights of the year. Come October 28th, UFC fame, Francis Ngannou will take his first boxing fight against Tyson Fury in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This debut is against one of the best fighters of this era.

The fight will take its course in all the championship rules. However, Fury’s titles will not be on the line. Meaning, that Ngannou undertakes the matchup not for a shot at the WBC heavyweight title. But rather to establish his presence in the boxing realm. While the world is familiar with the prowess Fury holds at his helm, coming to Ngannou’s aid is a world record he made in the year 2017.

Bringing the ‘hardest punch’, this is Francis Ngannou

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Tyson, whose powerful jabs and clean cuts are known to be one of the most lethal combinations as his opponent, ‘The Predator’ Ngannou assumes the position of the underdog. However, the strength of his punches cannot be underestimated. Given that, he holds the world record for the hardest punch.

In 2017, the fighter, who was still under contract with the UFC, sent ripples through the realm of combat. He created a world record that even the most abled world champions failed to do. On his visit to the UFC Performance Institute, he registered the world record for the hardest punch ever measured. He recorded a punch of 129,161 units, overtaking a record held by kickboxer Tyrone Spong.

The magnitude of a hard punch is measured on the power cube scale. It computes the power of a punch by analyzing its force, speed, and accuracy. The Cameroonian fighter also registered an off-balance uppercut, counting to an impressive 122,000 units. Moreover, his speed power fell at 51,064-foot pounds/per second, almost equivalent to the horsepower of a ‘Ford Escort’.

President of the UFC, Dana White had claimed, “His punches are equivalent to 96 horsepower. That’s equal to getting hit by a Ford Escort going as fast as it can and it’s more powerful than a 12-pound sledgehammer from full-force overhead. Holy s*it”

Instances where Ngannou exhibited his powerful punches

During his time with the UFC, the 37-year-old gained notoriety for the lethal punching power he brought to the octagon. His headlining knockout wins include the likes of Curtis Blaydes, Cain Velasquez, Junior Dos Santos, and Jairzinho Rozenstruik. Right before he made the world record, he was running on a streak of having won four fights through first-round knockouts.

He knocked out Blaydes at the 45th-second mark, redeeming himself from the two back-to-back losses he had encountered. He then went against Velasquez to knock him out within 25 seconds of the first round. Following the two landslide victories came his fight against Jos Santos. And then Rozenstruik, who lost to Ngannou within the first round’s 20 seconds at the UFC 249.

Even though the Saudi fight is his first boxing stint, his ability to show his opponents in the octagen scathing losses, comes in handy as he competes against Fury. But why did his 10-year-long association with the UFC come to an end?

The Predator wanted to test his hardest punch at Fury and Anthony Joshua

In January this year, the UFC announced that it would be stripping Ngannou of his undisputed heavyweight championship, and relieved the fighter to choose his next avenue in the combat world. President White indicated that the fighter was no longer keen on defending his status after a year-long negotiation process to renew his contract fell through.

But days following the suggestions made by White, the fighter came clean about the three specific requests he made to the promotions company. He asked for rights over sponsorships, followed by health insurance for all fighters, and a fighter on the UFC’s board that would advocate for the best interests of all fighters. However, he claims that they rejected all of them, leading to him pulling out of $8 million per fight deal in favor of free agency.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Also Read: “I Would Fight Him…”: Tyson Fury Details The Only Condition He Will Do An MMA Fight With Francis Ngannou

When he left his association with the MMA promoter company behind, the fighter vicariously told the world that he would now be entering the world of boxing. And his aim for his maiden opponent? Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua; the two names considered among the elite fighters of the heavyweight class. He said, “Tyson Fury or Anthony Joshua would be my first ideal opponent.”

His manifestation came true. This weekend, he will indeed take his powerful and swift punches against Tyson Fury. A debut that will become the premise of his destiny in boxing, it is to see if he would be able to win against the ‘Gypsy King.’ If not win, will he be able to at least prove to the world that the mettle he brings from the octagon stands as relevant as it ever did?

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

What do you think of Francis Ngannou’s future in the boxing realm? Let us know in the comments section below.

Watch This Story: Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou: Date, Time, Venue, Tickets, and Livestream