Exclusive: Tyson Fury says he ‘could drink 25 pints of beer and still beat Francis Ngannou in a fight’

Fury – who is considered one of boxing’s greatest heavyweights of all time – is staking his reputation against Ngannou, the MMA star and former UFC heavyweight champion who is stepping into the ring for the first time against the ‘Gypsy King’.

Most expect Fury to prevail, and the man himself has been typically confident in the build-up, making a bold prediction about how easily he expects to brush aside the 6ft 4in French-Cameroonian.

“I once stated that I could drink 15 pints of beer and still beat Anthony Joshua in a fight,” Fury told TNT Sports pundit and former world champion Carl Frampton.

“So I’m going to go on record and say this – I could drink 25 pints of beer and still beat Francis Ngannou in a fight.”

Among the bravado, however, Fury insists he has not been looking past the unique threat he faces this weekend, despite the unification bout that looms with Oleksandr Usyk.

“To be honest, there’s not much that we’ve seen on this guy as a boxer,” Fury added. “He’s obviously making his professional debut against the heavyweight champion of the world, which is a large task in itself.

“However, just be the best version of me. I’m in shape, I’ve trained, I’ve had a 12-week training camp, 12 weeks of the right food, Sugar [Steward] has been here eight weeks with me.

“It’s been been tough [but] I’ve not cut any corners, doing extra miles on the road and putting it all in. I’ve got zero excuses.

“I’m very, very fit, I’m very, very ready to put on the show and win a fight.”

It’s also, as Fury describes it, a “no-lose situation” for Ngannou. There is no shame in a defeat of any manner against an opponent as skilled and as experienced as Fury, while there is always a chance he could upset the odds, especially with the power he possesses.

Of Ngannou’s 14 fights in the UFC, he has won 10 by knockout.

“He’s a big man and he’s in great shape. And obviously, you hear about this power that he’s got. We’ve seen a couple of knockouts on the UFC, so yeah, you’ve got to be wary,” Fury acknowledged.

“I mean, he’s a lump coming forward [and] he’s got nothing to lose, has he?

“If he gets spanked in 25 seconds, he’s walked away with a massive pay cheque and he’s got to share the ring with a heavyweight champion of the world on his debut.

“But if he goes in there and gives a great account and rocks me all over and puts me down six times, then it’s an unbelievable thing for him, isn’t it? It’s a no-lose situation for him.”

As for how he sees the fight panning out, though, Fury fired an ominous warning.

“I’m going to go out there, use my jab, set him up and land some big punches on him, head and body and see if he can stand up to them.

“If he can’t, happy days, and if he does, I’ll keep delivering them.

“A lot of pain. If I get my right hand going and I can’t miss him because he’s got a head the size of a large plant pot, then he’s going to be in severe trouble.”

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