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Teddy Atlas is full of respect for Francis Ngannou and Tyson Fury. The renowned boxing coach heaped praise on the UFC and WBC Heavyweight Champions for inspiring people through their incredible journeys and being "great human beings."
Ngannou battled poverty while growing up in Cameroon and defeated seemingly insurmountable odds to achieve his dream of becoming a world champion. His journey from Cameroon to France to the United States and becoming a champion in the UFC has inspired people across the globe to follow their dreams with the same fervor and passion.
Tyson Fury battled severe depression and alcoholism at one point in time and recovered, becoming a Heavyweight Champion in boxing once again. 'The Gypsy King' has been vocal about his struggles with depression and urges people to take care of their mental health and remain positive.
On a recent episode of his podcast, Teddy Atlas said:
"He's [Ngannou is] terrific and he's a terrific human being, giving hope to his people of Cameroon with his title. He's a great human being, not everyone does that. I applaud people that do that, that use their success for more than themselves [and] that's what makes them a champion, that's what's great and that's part of what's great about Tyson Fury that he gives hope to people that have been depressed, that have had problems, all of that is true and I acknowledge all of that and I applaud all of it..."
Teddy Atlas doesn't think Francis Ngannou would hurt Tyson Fury in potential boxing match with MMA gloves
In the immediate aftermath of Tyson Fury's emphatic knockout victory over Dillian Whyte on April 23, 'The Gypsy King' surprisingly invited Ngannou inside the ring. Together, they announced that they will be competing in a unique boxing match with MMA gloves down the line.
Teddy Atlas doesn't think Ngannou stands a chance of beating Fury in a boxing match even with much smaller gloves compared to the 10-ounce ones usually used in pro-boxing. According to him, Fury has trained his whole life to avoid getting hit by elite boxers and there's no reason why he won't be able to do the same against Ngannou, who is yet to box professionally.
Breaking down the potential clash between the pair, Atlas stated:
"When you say, 'Oh, we'll make it fair now because we're gonna give him the MMA gloves', he might never land, he being Francis, he might never land a punch where those gloves are even relevant because he's in there with a guy who's been a boxer and has been taught and has spent his whole career and life being taught how to avoid punches from top fighters."
Catch Atlas' comments here:
