"He has tried" - WBC President justifies Tyson Fury's non-title fight with Francis Ngannou

Mauricio Sulaiman has explained why Tyson Fury was approved to box Francis Ngannou.

'The Gypsy King' is now slated to face 'The Predator' later this year in Saudi Arabia. In October, the two heavyweights will headline an ESPN pay-per-view event in a historic outing. It'll be the first time in combat sports history that boxing's lineal heavyweight champion will face the UFC's lineal heavyweight titleholder.

However, not everyone is happy about the matchup. While Fury is the WBC heavyweight champion, his title won't be on the line in the fight. Furthermore, the contest will only be ten rounds, instead of the standard 12. Many, including Anthony Joshua, have blasted the fight.

It's understandable, as Tyson Fury is holding up the rest of the heavyweight division with the fight. Well, that's not the case, according to WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman. In a recent interview with Sky Sports, the councilman explained why they allowed the non-title fight.

There, Suliaman reasoned that Fury attempted to book multiple other fights. However, they all fell through, including names such as Anthony Joshua. In the interview, the WBC president rejected the idea that Fury chose the Ngannou fight:

"He has tried to land a fight with the unified champion several times, with [Anthony] Joshua and [Andy] Ruiz and all credible opponents, and not having a mandatory contender he may engage in this type of event under the WBC rules. The WBC has been flexible and supporting to try to find the best mandatory contender of the WBC in the division."

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Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou: Betting Odds

Currently, the betting odds for Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou reflect the problem for many.

In October, 'The Predator' will make his boxing debut against 'The Gpysy King'. While Ngannou packs a lot of power, it's not exactly like that's a new thing that Fury has to deal with.

Famously, he was knocked down multiple times by Deontay Wilder in their trilogy series. 'The Bronze Bomber' is considered arguably the biggest puncher in boxing history, but was unable to put down Fury for good. As a result, it's hard to see Ngannou pulling it off.

The betting odds currently reflect that. According to the current betting odds from FanDuel, Tyson Fury is a -1100 favorite for the October boxing match. Meanwhile, Francis Ngannou is a +620 betting underdog for his debut in the sport.

While the betting odds will likely change as we get closer to fight night, it's clear fans are riding with 'The Gypsy King'.