Tyson Fury reveals he has received an offer to fight Jon Jones in the UFC — and wants to do it
Ahead of his next boxing bout against MMA fighter Francis Ngannou, Tyson Fury has revealed that he has received an offer to fight in the UFC and is seriously considering accepting it.
Fury takes on a fellow heavyweight title winner from a different discipline in Saudia Arabia on 28 October after completing his trilogy of fights against Derek Chisora in June and his intended fight against Oleksandr Usyk falling through.
However, while many have criticised the ‘Gypsy King’ for naming an MMA fighter as his next opponent instead of an orthodox boxer, several of the same fight fans have now had their ears pricked up at the idea of Tyson getting in the octagon after reportedly receiving an offer from the UFC.
And if that wasn’t already a juicy enough prospect, it’s apparently to take on none other than Jon Jones, with Fury already making clear it’s something he’s up for.
Speaking in an interview with The Sun, the 35-year-old said it’s “100% true” that he’s already received an offer to fight Jon Jones and that promoter Frank Warren and his team know all about it.
“It’s still ongoing and we’re looking to move forward on that for sure. Me and Jon have even spoken about it. It’s definitely a real thing”, Fury added.
The revelation came after he said that, regardless of the result next month, he’d be more than willing to have a rematch with Ngannou on his turf in 2024.
Expanding on the subject, he told IFLTV: “I want challenges, I don’t want easy bait. They’re all bums, the boxers. I’ve already proved myself as the best boxer that’s ever lived. Now I’m gonna prove myself as the best fighting man that’s ever lived.” As it turns out, he’s already had a bit of practice at MMA too.
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Fury has said that he knows if he doesn’t beat Ngannou, both the boxing world and everyone who follows MMA will mock him, insisting: “If I lose to an MMA guy I’ll never be able to show my face in public again. It’s going to ridicule me – people will chuck it at me forever.”
During the interview, the now-Netflix documentary star also went on to discuss whether there is any possibility that his match against Oleksandr Usyk could be resurrected.
Admitting that it isn’t a priority for him right now, Fury said, “If he takes a small percentage we might make it happen. But if he wants a large bag I’m gonna say, ‘No thank you'”, adding, “I think Francis Ngannou is gonna be a tougher challenge than these other guys. These other guys are just boxers, this guy’s more than that.”
Do you reckon there’s any chance the 37-year-old striker could get one over on Fury and would you event want to see him try his hand at UFC?
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Featured Image — Tyson Fury (via Instagram)/Wikimedia Commons