WBC heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou, the former UFC heavyweight champion, made their grand arrivals in Riyadh on Tuesday evening ahead of their blockbuster fight this weekend.
Billed as 'Battle of the Baddest', Fury and Ngannou are set to face off in a highly lucrative crossover boxing bout in Saudi Arabia on Saturday. Ahead of their showdown, both fighters posed for photos with their team and climbed onto the stage in front of fans and the media.
Fury, unbeaten in 34 professional fights, became a two-time heavyweight world champion in February 2020 when he defeated Deontay Wilder in a rematch after their thrilling first fight ended in a controversial draw. While the contest against Ngannou is an official 10-round professional bout, Fury's WBC title will not be on the line.
Ngannou will enter the ring in Riyadh for his boxing debut having conquered the MMA heavyweight scene. The Cameroonian, known for his brutal power inside the cage, left the UFC last year after winning and then retaining the heavyweight title in his final two fights on the promotion.
Fury, understandably, is a wide favourite and the British fighter is predicting an early stoppage.
“I'm going to knock him out inside six rounds," Fury told TNT Sports. "I’ll get on the front foot, high arm, catch him with a punishing jab, 19/20 stone (120-127kg) in the face. Bust him up, swell his eyes out and bang, KO. On the front foot, not running away.
“No one can take my power, nobody. These heavyweights don’t have a chance.”
Saturday will be Fury's first fight in Saudi Arabia, but he will return to the Kingdom for an undisputed showdown with fellow heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk.
While a date has not yet been set, Fury insists he would be ready to take on the Ukrainian WBA, WBO, and IBF champion before the end of the year.
"We've signed the contracts," Fury told Sky Sports. "December 23, that's out there isn't it? It's only eight weeks away from Saturday. Why not?
"I've not even had a fight this year so get two in before the end of the year would be fantastic. Double payday. There'll be a nice big turkey in the Fury household this Christmas."
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St Andrew's Church Mussaffah branch
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Church of the Virgin Mary and St Paul the Apostle, Ruwais
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2019 Asian Cup final
Japan v Qatar
Friday, 6pm
Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
The specs: 2019 Haval H6
Price, base: Dh69,900
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Gully Boy
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Producer: Excel Entertainment & Tiger Baby
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31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all
Source: YouGov
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France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
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Florida: The critical Sunshine State
Though mostly conservative, Florida is usually always “close” in presidential elections. In most elections, the candidate that wins the Sunshine State almost always wins the election, as evidenced in 2016 when Trump took Florida, a state which has not had a democratic governor since 1991.
Joe Biden’s campaign has spent $100 million there to turn things around, understandable given the state’s crucial 29 electoral votes.
In 2016, Mr Trump’s democratic rival Hillary Clinton paid frequent visits to Florida though analysts concluded that she failed to appeal towards middle-class voters, whom Barack Obama won over in the previous election.
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Thomas Muster - 422
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Eddie Dibbs - 370
Ilie Nastase - 338
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Indoor Cricket World Cup Dubai 2017
Venue Insportz, Dubai; Admission Free
Day 1 fixtures (Saturday)
Men 1.45pm, Malaysia v Australia (Court 1); Singapore v India (Court 2); UAE v New Zealand (Court 3); South Africa v Sri Lanka (Court 4)
Women Noon, New Zealand v South Africa (Court 3); England v UAE (Court 4); 5.15pm, Australia v UAE (Court 3); England v New Zealand (Court 4)
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Transmission: 10-speed auto
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Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
Two-step truce
The UN-brokered ceasefire deal for Hodeidah will be implemented in two stages, with the first to be completed before the New Year begins, according to the Arab Coalition supporting the Yemeni government.
By midnight on December 31, the Houthi rebels will have to withdraw from the ports of Hodeidah, Ras Issa and Al Saqef, coalition officials told The National.
The second stage will be the complete withdrawal of all pro-government forces and rebels from Hodeidah city, to be completed by midnight on January 7.
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- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
