Randy Couture praises Francis Ngannou scoring Tyson Fury fight: “He stood up for our sport”

By Josh Evanoff - July 18, 2023

PFL commentator Randy Couture has reacted to Francis Ngannou vs. Tyson Fury.

‘The Predator’ announced his boxing debut against ‘The Gypsy King’ earlier this month. After months of speculation after Francis Ngannou left the UFC, he somehow got the deal done. In October, the PFL heavyweight will face Tyson Fury, and there are few happier than Randy Couture.

‘The Natural’ famously had multiple high-profile battles with the UFC brass and Dana White. Ultimately, the two are on bad terms to this day, as Randy Couture is still banned from attending events or cornering fighters. As a result, it’s not hard to imagine that he’s happy to see Francis Ngannou succeed outside of the company by boxing Tyson Fury.

Randy Couture addressed the boxing match in a recent interview with MiddleEasy. There, the PFL commentator praised Francis Ngannou fighting Tyson Fury. While he’s less excited about the boxing match itself, he is proud and excited for the former UFC heavyweight champion ahead of October.

RELATED: FRANCIS NGANNOU TAKES SHOT AT DANA WHITE OVER GIMIK FIGHT PROMOTIONS: “SAME THING HE WAS TRYING TO DO”

Randy Couture

“He’s done the right thing, he stood up for himself. He stood up for the sport,” Randy Couture stated when discussing Francis Ngannou vs. Tyson Fury. “There were other athletes in the position to do that and passed and didn’t do it. I’m proud of him for doing that, sticking to his guns. It wasn’t about the money, it was about all the other stuff that he’s mentioned and I’ve certainly mentioned and stood up for himself.”

He continued, “…A whole new level of respect for him. I think it’s a big step up for him honestly, this guy’s been boxing at that level. He’s arguably the best boxer in the world right now, and has been at the top of that game for quite a while. What he did with Wilder in all those matches, his technique. He’s long, he’s rangy, he moves his head and his feet well, he’s going to be hard to hit.”

“Francis has got a lot of work to do to get ready and get sharp for that. But, you can never count Francis out.”

What do you make of these comments from Randy Couture? Are you excited for Francis Ngannou vs. Tyson Fury?


Topics:

Francis Ngannou Professional Fighters League (PFL) Randy Couture Tyson Fury