Tyson Fury has announced that his next opponent will be Francis Ngannou, the former UFC fighter, with the pair set to square off in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on the 28th of October.
The fight will be placed under the rules of professional boxing, potentially working in Fury's favour. Although, Ngannou showcased his prowess after Fury's knockout win against Dillian Whyte, something the WBC heavyweight champion picked up on, saying: "Francis looked tough when he jumped in the ring after the Whyte fight, but there is no one tougher than me, and you'll all see that in devastating fashion on October 28."
One interesting dynamic leading up to the encounter is the build of the two fighters.
Fury has always been known for having a lesser-toned physique, while on the other hand, Ngannou is muscular and built like a stereotypical athlete.
The physiques of Tyson Fury & Francis Ngannou
Over time, Fury has shown that the way he is built does not negatively impact his boxing performance, with recent wins against Whyte and Deontay Wilder, two boxers who are leaner than The Gypsy King.
In January 2022, when fans became concerned over Fury's apparent 'weight gain', he whipped back by saying: "I don't remember ever looking in shape. They say he looks out of shape! I say I've never been in shape!"
After the 34-year-old's second face-off with Wilder in 2020, he said post-fight: "I am a professional athlete who loves to box. Slip and slide, show my skill. I am 6ft 9in, 260 lbs. I do not know anyone on the planet that can move like that."
Wilder also made a point about Fury's physique after their third battle in the ring: "I know that in training he did certain things, and I also knew that he didn't come in at 277lbs to be a ballet dancer. He came to lean on me, try to rough me up, and he succeeded."
Ngannou has more in common with Wilder's build than Fury's, so it will be interesting to see how that plays out come October.
One previous UFC fighter that shares a similar build with Fury is Derrick Lewis, who holds the record for the most knockouts in UFC history with 13.
In 2018, Ngannou faced off with Lewis and was defeated by The Black Beast. Whether this has an impact on October's encounter we are yet to see, especially as this was Ngannou's last loss with six victories since his bruising battle with Lewis.
Ngannou, though, states that he is ready for Fury, saying: "I've been waiting to meet Tyson in the ring for the past three years. My dream was always to box, and to box the best.
"After becoming the undisputed MMA heavyweight champion, this is my opportunity to make that dream come true and cement my position as the baddest man on the planet."
Fury responded with: "As soon as that bell goes, it'll be bombs away! This guy is supposed to be the hardest puncher in the world, but let's see how he reacts when he gets hit by the Big GK.
"I can't wait to get back out there under the lights. I'm looking forward to showing the world that The Gypsy King is the greatest fighter of his generation in an epic battle with another master of his craft."