"Dare to dream" - Top UFC referee highlights "power and belief" as he backs Francis Ngannou to 'shock the world' against Tyson Fury

When Francis Ngannou departed the UFC in early 2023, abandoning the heavyweight title, many observers felt he’d torpedoed his career. However, ‘The Predator’ appears to have struck gold by signing a big-money deal with the PFL and by being able to face off with WBC champ Tyson Fury in a boxing match this weekend.

Francis Ngannou’s clash with Tyson Fury is being dubbed ‘The Battle of the Baddest’ and will reportedly see the former UFC champ earn an astounding $10m for his efforts.

However, at least the fight appears to be a mismatch on paper. It pits Ngannou, who has never boxed professionally before, against the consensus greatest heavyweight of his generation.

‘The Gypsy King’ holds wins over the likes of Deontay Wilder and Wladimir Klitschko and has never been beaten in 34 bouts. Worryingly for Ngannou, a video of an open workout he performed this week has seen even more fans doubt his skills, with many suspecting he’ll be an easy opponent for Fury.

One observer who appears to have some faith in ‘The Predator,’ though, is famed UFC referee Marc Goddard. The UK-based official, who has a professional MMA record of 7-6-1 in his own right, took to X (formerly Twitter) to encourage Ngannou to “go and shock the world” this weekend in Riyadh.

Fans can purchase ‘The Battle of the Baddest’ on pay-per-view this weekend, with US-based fans needing to part with a whopping $79.99 to watch on ESPN+.

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Francis Ngannou UFC referee: What is Ngannou’s history with Marc Goddard?

UK-based UFC referee Marc Goddard recently took to X (formerly Twitter) to encourage Francis Ngannou for his fight this weekend with Tyson Fury.

The bout, which will be contested over ten rounds, will not see Fury’s WBC heavyweight title on the line, and it will act as Ngannou’s professional boxing debut. Interestingly enough, though, Goddard and Ngannou did not share the octagon on many occasions during the UFC career of the Cameroon native.

Goddard refereed just one of Ngannou’s 14 visits to the octagon, his second clash with Curtis Blaydes in late 2018. ‘The Predator’ won the fight via TKO after just 45 seconds, although some fans suggested it was prematurely stopped.

Watch Ngannou vs. Blaydes 2 below.