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KSI and Tommy Fury will fight each other in a boxing match in October, as their brewing rivalry threatens to boil over. YouTube star KSI, 30, has fought several times, notably drawing with Logan Paul in 2018 then beating him in 2019, and most recently fighting Joe Fournier to a No Contest. KSI (real name Olajide Olatunji) knocked out Fournier with an illegal elbow in May, and the result was later overturned. Meanwhile, Fury – half-brother of WBC heavyweight champion Tyson – is unbeaten like KSI but with much more professional experience. The 24-year-old is 9-0 as a pro, having most recently beaten Jake Paul on points in February. After KSI’s contest with Fournier, ex-Love Island contestant Fury entered the ring for a face-off, and the pair will share a ring again when they square off in October. Here’s all you need to know. We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. When is the fight? KSI vs Fury will take place at the AO Arena in Manchester on Saturday 14 October. No timings for the event have yet been announced, but the main card is likely to begin at 7pm BST (11am PT, 1pm CT, 2pm ET). Ring walks for the main event are likely to follow at around 10pm BST (2pm PT, 4pm CT, 5pm ET). How can I watch it? The event will air live on the streaming platform Dazn. It will be available to existing subscribers, and it will also be purchasable on Dazn Pay-Per-View for non-subscribers. A Dazn subscription is available to purchase here, with monthly plans starting at £9.99. Who else is fighting? Logan Paul, KSI’s opponent-turned-business partner at their Prime energy-drink company, will fight in the evening’s other ‘main event’. It has not yet been announced who the YouTube star will box. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Errol Spence reveals date of Terence Crawford rematch – ‘We got to do it again’ Terence Crawford’s masterclass puts him in conversation to be an all-time great Justin Gaethje stuns Dustin Poirier with brutal head-kick knockout at UFC 291

Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje will clash in the main event of UFC 291 tonight, in a rematch with the ‘BMF’ title on the line. Poirier beat Gaethje via fourth-round TKO in 2018, and the pair’s careers followed similar trajectories in the time since. Poirier, 34, won the interim lightweight title in 2019 but failed to unify the belt against Khabib Nurmagomedov, losing to the Russsian via submission; Gaethje, 34, then collected the interim gold in 2020 but was also submitted by Khabib. Each man then got a second crack at the gold but came up short again, with Poirier submitted by Charles Oliveira in 2021 and Gaethje suffering the same fate last May. However, Poirier and Gaethje have both bounced back since then, with the former stopping Michael Chandler and the latter beating Rafael Fiziev. And when Poirier and Gaethje rematch in Salt Lake City, Utah, tonight, the ‘Baddest Motherf*****’ belt will be up for grabs. The title has only appeared once before, when Jorge Masvidal beat Nate Diaz to become the inaugural champion in 2019. In this evening’s co-main event, former middleweight champion Alex Pereira moves up to light-heavyweight to face Jan Blachowicz, an ex-title holder in the division. Follow live updates and results from UFC 291, below. For the full odds on the Poirier vs Gaethje fight, click here for our betting page. Read More UFC 291 live stream: How to watch Poirier vs Gaethje online and on TV this weekend Michael Bisping: ‘The challenge of coming back to grapple appeals to me’ Conor McGregor pays emotional tribute to Sinead O’Connor after singer’s death

Errol Spence Jr and Terence Crawford are squaring off in Las Vegas tonight, in one of the most-anticipated boxing matches in years. The American southpaws, both unbeaten, clash to crown an undisputed welterweight champion in a bout that has been years in the making. Spence, 33, carries the WBC, WBA and IBF titles into the T-Mobile Arena, while Crawford, 35, holds the WBO belt. Spence (28-0, 22 knockouts) last competed in April 2022, stopping Yordenis Ugas in the 10th round, while Crawford (39-0, 30 KOs) most recently fought in December, beating David Avanesyan with a sixth-round TKO. Spence told The Independent this week: “I definitely think it’s something that would’ve been hanging over our heads for our whole careers, if we didn’t make this fight happen. I feel like it’s definitely gonna be on another level. This is a super-fight, people have it as a 50-50 fight.” Meanwhile, Crawford said: “I’m already pound-for-pound No 1, I feel. In my eyes, a win over Errol would just put me as undisputed, pound-for-pound No 1 in everybody’s eyes. There would be no debate.” Follow live updates and results from Spence vs Crawford and the undercard, below. Read More Spence vs Crawford live stream: How to watch fight online and on TV this weekend The factor that could decide Spence vs Crawford super-fight Terence Crawford wins coin toss with Errol Spence Jr to make key fight-night decision

Errol Spence Jr knew this time would be different. For the best part of five years, fans had debated what a fight between the two best welterweights of their generation would look like. Promoters had spoken in public and in private about whether fans would get a look at that fight at all. On more than one occasion, the contest seemed to be within grasp before drifting out of reach. But when Terence Crawford texted him, Spence Jr knew this time would be different. “I think it really took us just getting on the phone, and talking to each other,” Spence told The Independent over Zoom, a week out from Saturday’s fight at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. “It took us relaying different messages to each other about the negotiations, and basically me just giving him stuff that he wanted to make the fight happen. I didn’t really want much. The big obstacles were the [purse] split and the ring walk.” Such obstacles could not have been overcome without Spence and his fellow American sharing a mutual respect, both fighters told The Independent, with Crawford saying on a call with other reporters: “You’ve got a lot of people that put on a little circus act and start going about things the wrong way – being disrespectful, taking it to another level that it doesn’t need to be taken to. Sometimes, you can’t come back from that.” There was no such problem when Crawford, 35, and Spence, 33, picked up the phone, initially bypassing promoters, agents and handlers to try to hash out a deal for a historic fight – one between two unbeaten title holders, to crown an undisputed welterweight champion. “There’s definitely a respect between us, I respect him a lot,” Spence acknowledged, while Crawford said: “It was never nothing [antagonistic], it was all business and respect [on the phone]. “I hit him up on 1 January,” Crawford added. “I sent him a text, just telling him that we need to actually fight, to make history. He was in agreement about us fighting. And at that particular time, I reached out to [promoter] Al Haymon and started back up the conversation. Errol got back on a phone call and started talking about the structure of the fight, the deal. That’s how the fight was made.” “The conversations were just us talking about what was going on with the negotiations, and seeing if we could get to the middle of it – the meat of it,” Spence explained. “Basically there was some stuff that he wanted, which me and my team didn’t agree to [at first].” Eventually, however, agreements were reached. It has been a year of mixed results in terms of talks over marquee fights. Tyson Fury’s prospective clash with Oleksandr Usyk collapsed, despite the latter agreeing to a 70-30 purse split in the Briton’s favour. The Ukrainian made that concession in spite of holding three of the four major heavyweight belts, compared to Fury’s one, and holding an unbeaten record like his potential opponent. A long-awaited bout between Fury and compatriot Anthony Joshua also crashed and burned before it got off the ground, and not for the first time. However, a highly-anticipated showdown between Gervonta “Tank” Davis and Ryan Garcia did materialise, as did huge title fights between Vasiliy Lomachenko and Devin Haney and Josh Taylor and Teofimo Lopez. So, should more fighters take the approach that Spence and Crawford did? “If they’re mature enough, they definitely need to get on the phone with each other and talk,” Spence said. “But I don’t know if they’re as level-headed as me and Terence are, talking and having disagreements but trying to make the fight happen. You’ve got to have a level head to talk to another fighter and just come up with the same scenario. [It was me] talking to my people, and then at some points we had my team and his team, himself and myself. We were always on a call with each other, trying to figure out how to make the fight happen.” Crawford then told The Independent: “If you have two grown men that are willing to set aside their pride and put the hype to the side and come together and both want the same thing, then yes,” before telling another reporter: “I can’t speak on other people’s situations, because I’m not the one trying to make the fight happen with them, but boxers are the ones in charge. “Once a fighter realises that, the advisers, promoters and managers go to work. They’ve got to give the fighter what he wants. You’ve had two cases recently: ‘Tank’ and Garcia wanted to fight each other, and they made sure that deal got done, just like you have Terence Crawford and Errol Spence wanting to fight each other. We both went to our people and got the fight done, so it all comes down to the fighters at the end of the day. “Yeah, our handlers want to look out for our best interests and make sure we make the best business decision at the right time, but it’s up to us as fighters to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’. There’s a lot of fighters that can say, ‘No, I don’t wanna fight this guy; I want him, give me him,’ and if the opposing fighter is saying the same thing, there’s nothing anyone can do but to make the fight happen.” And now, one of the most-anticipated fights of a generation will happen, when Spence carries the WBC, WBA and IBF welterweight titles into the T-Mobile Arena, while Crawford brings the WBO belt. “I definitely think it’s something that would’ve been hanging over our heads for our whole careers, if we didn’t make this fight happen,” Spence admitted. “It’d have been tied to us all the time. ‘Man, Spence, I wish he would’ve fought Terence.’ Or, ‘Man, I wish Terence would’ve fought Spence.’ It would’ve been that super-fight that didn’t happen. “I feel like it’s definitely gonna be on another level. This is a super-fight, people have it as a 50-50 fight. [It will crown] the undisputed welterweight champion, we’re both undefeated. The accolades that he has, the accolades that I have...” Meanwhile, Crawford said: “It means a lot, given the history that’s on the line, but at the same time there are a lot of other fights in the history of boxing that didn’t happen. So, if the fight with Errol didn’t happen, I wouldn’t be the first and I wouldn’t be the last to have people talking about them like that. It’d just be another fight on the list.” Both boxers are grounded as the fight approaches, even while acknowledging that it could define both men’s careers. Spence told The Independent: “Just because it’s a big fight, that doesn’t mean it isn’t just another day in the ring for me. I’ve been treating it as that, as far as my emotions and how I feel, but I’ve definitely been training hard and focused a lot more on my craft, my abilities, and my training. But when I wake up on the day of the fight, it’s gonna be another day in the office. [My first thought] will probably be what I’m gonna eat!” “This fight week feels the same,” Crawford said. “It definitely feels bigger, but at the same time, in my mind it’s no different. I’m already pound-for-pound No 1, I feel. In my eyes, a win over Errol Spence Jr would just put me as undisputed, pound-for-pound No 1 in everybody’s eyes. There would be no debate.” On Saturday, a maximum of 12 rounds will end five years of debate. And all thanks to one text. TNT Sports Box Office will show Errol Spence Jr vs Terence Crawford exclusively live on Saturday 29 July. Learn more at https://www.tntsports.co.uk/boxoffice Read More Spence vs Crawford live stream: How to watch fight online and on TV this weekend The factor that could decide Spence vs Crawford super-fight Terence Crawford wins coin toss with Errol Spence Jr to make key fight-night decision Exclusive look at Terence Crawford’s ring gear ahead of clash with Errol Spence Jr The meaning behind Terence Crawford’s ring gear in Errol Spence Jr clash Terence Crawford wins coin toss with Errol Spence to make key fight-night decision

Terence Crawford's ring gear has been revealed ahead of his titanic bout with Errol Spence Jr this Saturday. Spence likes to refer to himself as the "Big Fish", and Crawford is taking no prisoners with his outfit. The ring gear features hooks and other fishing-related imagery. “I was able to do a lot of research into deep-sea fishing, the fabrics and hardware they use, and I implement that into the design", said Imtayaz Qassim of Bespoke Boxing, where Crawford’s outfit was designed and created. The two professional boxers are set to clash to crown an undisputed welterweight champion in their match. These two Americans are both currently unbeaten, but Crawford's WBO belt is on the line, as are Spence's WBC, WBA and IBF titles. Read More Moment Biden forgets to sign executive order in Maine Distressing moment dachshund stolen from Essex home by masked thief Driver Snapchats speeding at 80mph before killing passenger in crash

Captain of the German national team since 2019, Alexandra Popp has established herself as one of the stalwarts of the women’s game and the German national side since making her debut in 2010. A full-back-turned-forward, the 32-year-old will be carrying her nation’s hopes on her shoulders at the Women’s World Cup as she looks to avenge their heartbreaking defeat to England in Euro 2022 final last summer. Born in Witten, in western Germany, Popp began her fledgling football career as a student at Gesamtschule Berger Feld in Gelsenkirchen. The elite footballing school trains players for the men’s Bundesliga side, Schalke, with Popp the only female student to attend the school courtesy of a special permit. Having also played for mixed-gender teams at FC Silschede, Popp eventually got her first taste of senior football at Recklinghausen in the fourth tier of German football. Her stay there would last just one year with the then 17-year-old joining top-flight Duisburg in 2008 under the tutelage of the current national team manager, Martina Voss-Tecklenburg. Popp would enjoy a hugely successful first season, winning the UEFA Women’s Champions League and German Cup with Duisburg. She would follow that up the following season by retaining the German Cup with the season culminating in Popp making her debut for the senior national team in 2010. After two further years, Popp transferred to Wolfsburg in 2012 where she remains today. Much like her debut season at Duisburg, Popp would hit the ground running at Wolfsburg with a famous treble-winning campaign that saw her side capture the UEFA Women’s Champions League, Frauen-Bundesliga and German Cup. Her career at Wolfsburg went from strength to strength as Popp guided her side to a successful defence of the UEFA Women’s Champions League and Frauen-Bundesliga in the 2013-14 season. Whilst her Wolfsburg side may not have tasted European glory since that 2014 season, they have been the dominant force in domestic German women’s football with her side winning the German Cup for nine-straight seasons while also winning the Frauen-Bundesliga on five occasions. For the national team, Popp has also been a stalwart since her debut in 2010, scoring 62 goals in 128 appearances. Despite missing the final through injury, Popp scored eight goals as Germany went on to retain the Euros in 2013. Get all the latest Women’s World Cup odds here Having lost in the semi-finals of the 2015 World Cup, the national side would go on to claim gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics. In 2019, Popp would become captain of the national side ahead of the World Cup where they fell to Sweeden in the quarter-finals. A heartbreaking injury in the warm-up for last year’s Euros finals prevented Popp from playing as England defeated Germany in extra time. Read More FIFA Women’s World Cup fixtures and full schedule Women’s football world rankings: Who could take No 1 at the World Cup? Germany and Alexandra Popp are out for revenge - the World Cup is the perfect chance

Aston Villa’s Rachel Daly is one of the most versatile members of Sarina Wiegman’s England squad – and one of its great characters – and comes into the World Cup in the form of her life, having scored 30 goals in 30 games for her club this season in all competitions to take home the Women’s Super League’s Golden Boot. The Harrogate native, 31, started with Killinghall Nomads where she was scouted by Leeds United before making her first league appearances for Lincoln City Ladies, scoring four times across 24 games in 2011 and 2012. But she first really made a name for herself in New York playing for St John’s University Red Storm in Queens, setting the college’s record goals tally of 50 despite playing in just two years out of the three she was enrolled at the institution between 2013 and 2015. Get all the latest Women’s World Cup odds here Thereafter relocating to California and turning out for the Los Angeles Strikers, the Los Angeles Blues and SoCal FC, she finally found a home at Houston Dash in Texas, making 118 appearances and scoring 42 goals across a seven-year stretch. A brief loan move to West Ham during the Covid-disrupted 2020/21 season brought a return to the UK that was made permanent when she signed for Villa in the summer of 2022. It was Phil Neville who first brought her into the international fold in 2016 and she has since gone on to make 69 appearances and score 13 goals. She starred at left-back in Wiegman’s victorious Euro 2022 team but more recently played up front during February’s Arnold Clark Cup, when her two headed goals saw England beat Italy 2-1 in game two, setting the Lionesses firmly on the path to another tournament win. She could well stay there in place of Alessia Russo, in which case Alex Greenwood would typically be expected to replace her at left-back, although she may now be needed at centre-back with Leah Williamson out and Millie Bright returning from injury. Read More How to watch England vs Haiti: TV channel and start time for Women’s World Cup opener Women’s football world rankings: Who could take No 1 at the World Cup? FIFA Women’s World Cup fixtures and full schedule

Terence Crawford won a coin toss with Errol Spence Jr on Thursday, allowing “Bud” to make a key decision for Saturday’s fight. Crawford will carry the WBO welterweight title into the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, while Spence holds the WBC, WBA and IBF belts. Both Americans are unbeaten and are among boxing’s biggest names, thus there was much debate around who would make their ring walk second and be introduced second in the ring. It was ultimately put to a coin toss at Thursday’s press conference, with Crawford, 35, winning out. The build-up to Saturday’s main event has been largely respectful, although the final press conference became heated as Crawford began to shout at a member of 33-year-old Spence’s team. “Listen, my family, Errol’s family, man...” Crawford began. “You got to calm down, brother, because listen, things can get real sticky, real quick. And then everybody will say, ‘This is what we do every time that we come out’. Social media, social media, my a**. “Bro, listen, just like you doing all that talking, it can turn deadly real quick, but on both sides. So, why not support your fighter? Let’s come together and make this event a success instead of everybody saying that every time we get together, it’s always shooting and violence. “That’s what I want. Y’all can say whatever you want, but I’m probably older than you and have been through way more than you, so I’m more mature. But I wish Errol and his people the best.” Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More The factor that could decide Spence vs Crawford super-fight Spence vs Crawford time: When does fight start in UK and US this weekend? Errol Spence Jr lifts lid on Anthony Joshua’s training sessions in Dallas

England continue their Women’s World Cup campaign against Denmark in a crunch Group D clash in Sydney. The Lionesses got their tournament underway with a narrow 1-0 win against Haiti, but they were reliant on a Georgia Stanway penalty and a key save from Mary Earps as Sarina Wiegman said her side lacked “ruthlessness” in front of goal. The European champions, who have now not scored a goal from open play in three matches, will need to improve as they take on Denmark and their star forward Pernille Harder. Denmark also got off to a winning start as they edged China 1-0. Both teams will be looking for improvement as well as a place in the knockout stages. Victory in Sydney would put England on the verge of the last-16, with China facing Haiti in the other match in Group D later today. Follow the latest World Cup scores, updates and news in today’s live blog Read More How to watch England vs Denmark: TV channel and start time for Women’s World Cup fixture Sarina Wiegman must take chance to reset England’s World Cup bid Darts, colouring in and 1,000 bags of Yorkshire tea: Inside the Lionesses’ World Cup den Women’s World Cup schedule: How to watch every match today

At last. It has taken over five years to get Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr in the same ring for their wonderful fight in Las Vegas on Saturday night. The old neon city has waited patiently for a fight like this, a fight without gimmicks, a fight with undefeated boxers and a fight that just had to happen. It might lack some of the stardust associated with the strip in Las Vegas, but it remains a fight for the ages. Spence is unbeaten in 28, he holds the IBF, WBC and WBA welterweight titles; Crawford is unbeaten in 39 and he holds the WBO version. Crawford has also held world titles at lightweight and light-welterweight. Spence is 33, Crawford is 35, and they are the most perfect rivals in an imperfect sport. Spence crashed his car, suffered injuries, had a potential career-ending eye problem and Crawford was shot in the neck and left for dead before he took boxing seriously. They have a backstory or two, don’t worry. Spence won his first welterweight title one cold, May night in Sheffield when he stopped Kell Brook in 2017; the following year, Crawford won his WBO title. A fight between the two has been discussed since the summer of 2018. It might not be the longest wait between the first talks and the first bell, but it is the longest for a fight of this importance. There are no circus attachments here, no desperate men, no lost causes – it is just two very good fighters, both still in their primes, meeting. Well, actually, they are an exceptional pair of fighters, quite brilliant in many ways. Spence has looked long and hard at moving up in weight to light-middle and has so far made six defences of his welterweight title. Some, it must be said, have not been spectacular. Crawford has also made six defences and stopped or knocked out all six men. He has appeared more focused. However, both have been guilty of holding out for the type of money that came so close to ending any chances of this fight ever happening. They have both talked about the risks they take as fighters and the need to maximise their pay, their cash, their fee for fighting. Thankfully a compromise has been found to satisfy their pockets. This is strictly a fight for money, but wealth is health in the boxing game. All the talk of pride, unification and being called the best welterweight in the world are just nice and necessary tributes. There is, by the way, nothing wrong with two boxers admitting that money has kept them apart and that money has finally brought them together. Legacy, it seems, belongs in another time and place. It is the first proper unification between two men holding all the existing welterweight belts (four now, three then) since the night in Atlantic City in 1986 when Lloyd Honeyghan ruined Donald Curry. Honeyghan was the welterweight king, the man on that long and glorious night; the winner at the T-Mobile Arena will take that fanciful crown. The Curry and Honeyghan fight was anonymous, which is often forgotten. This fight has become an event during the last few days, and at about 10pm in Las Vegas on Saturday night, we will have another welterweight king. They have, often in parallel boxing worlds, beaten the best men at their weight and have, on occasion, eyed each other up close and personal. The fight was made, mentioned, desired and collapsed several times. It was, thankfully, inevitable, and all parties finally saw sense and sat and talked – and talked – and found a deal to satisfy every single ego in their respective businesses. It is also the right time because there are now a pair of quite exceptional and dangerous contenders in Jaron Ennis and Vergil Ortiz Jr waiting with menace in a line. Crawford and Spence had to fight each other before either Ennis or Ortiz Jr had their crack. The wait will be worth it and all that really matters now is that it is on. Forget the money demands, the excuses, the insults, the threats and anything else that somehow stopped this fight taking place. Forget it all. It’s on, so sit back and enjoy it. Crawford has aged better during the five years and one month they have shared as champions. That should be the factor once that first bell sounds. Read More Spence vs Crawford time: When does fight start in UK and US this weekend? Errol Spence Jr lifts lid on Anthony Joshua’s training sessions in Dallas Naoya Inoue, the best boxer in the world, fights on Tuesdays

England continue their Women’s World Cup campaign against Denmark in a crunch Group D clash in Sydney. The Lionesses got their tournament underway with a narrow 1-0 win against Haiti as Sarina Wiegman said her side lacked “ruthlessness” in front of goal. LIVE! Follow coverage of England vs Denmark with our blog Denmark also got off to a winning start as they edged China 1-0, so both teams will be looking for improvement as they target a place in the knockout stages. Wiegman hinted that England are likely to make changes for Denmark, who are led by former Chelsea forward Pernille Harder. Here’s everything you know as the Lionesses continue their World Cup campaign What time is England vs Denmark? The Group D match will kick off at 9:30am BST on Friday 28 July at the Sydney Football Stadium. What TV channel is it on? England vs Denmark will be shown live on BBC One and on the BBC iPlayer, with coverage starting from 9am. England’s final group-stage fixture is against China on Tuesday 1 August and will be shown on ITV, with the match starting at 12pm BST. Should England make it through to the round of 16, their fixture will be shown live on the BBC. Click here for the full World Cup TV guide. Team news Sarina Wiegman has a fully fit squad and the manager has hinted that she will make changes to try and spark the Lionesses into life. Wiegman, who did not make any changes to her starting line-up during the Euros, could bring in Lauren James and Rachel Daly in attack. The back-four is likely to remain the same, with Millie Bright partnering Jess Carter and Lucy Bronze and Alex Greenwood at full-back, in front of goalkeeper Mary Earps. Keira Walsh will shield the back-line alongside Georgia Stanway, England’s goalscorer against Haiti, in midfield. Ella Toone, Lauren Hemp and Chloe Kelly face competition from James, while Daly could be preferred to Alessia Russo. Predicted line-up Earps; Bronze, Bright, Carter, Greenwood; Walsh, Stanway; Kelly, James, Hemp; Daly Read More Sarina Wiegman must take chance to reset England’s World Cup bid Darts, colouring in and 1,000 bags of Yorkshire tea: Inside the Lionesses’ World Cup den Women’s World Cup schedule: How to watch every match today

According to Eddie Hearn, Tyson Fury’s upcoming fight with Francis Ngannou shows that the “Gypsy King” only cares about ‘money’. WBC heavyweight champion Fury will box Ngannou, a former UFC heavyweight champion, in Saudi Arabia on 28 October, after talks collapsed between Fury and Oleksandr Usyk earlier this year. Usyk holds the remaining major titles at heavyweight, meaning a clash between the Ukrainian and Fury would have crowned an undisputed champion – the first in the division since 2000. Instead, Usyk will defend his belts against Daniel Dubois on 26 August, before Briton Fury boxes Ngannou. “Tyson Fury turned down the Oleksandr Usyk fight,” Hearn, who promotes Anthony Joshua, told Piers Morgan on TalkTV. “[He turned down] the most important fight in boxing to fight an MMA fighter, who’s never had a [boxing match] before in his life, in Saudi Arabia. “We’ve got to be honest, Tyson Fury cares about one thing only: the money.” Ngannou, 36, is widely seen as the most devastating puncher in mixed martial arts history. The Cameroonian’s professional record stands at 17-3, with 12 of his wins having come via knockout. Of those KO victories, eight took place in Round 1 – with three having been achieved inside the first minute. He vacated the UFC heavyweight title this year while leaving the company over a pay dispute, before signing with the Professional Fighters League (PFL) – a rival of the UFC. As part of his deal with the PFL, Ngannou is allowed to box on the side, which he will do against Fury before making his PFL debut in 2024. Hearn went on to criticise Fury’s resume, saying of the 34-year-old: “He’s beaten Wladimir Klitschko and Deontay Wilder (twice), that’s his wins. “He needs to beat Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua, and then we can talk about him – as I believe he is – as one of the greatest heavyweights of all time.” Fury last fought in December, stopping Derek Chisora late to go 3-0 against his compatriot and retain the WBC title. The result also kept Fury unbeaten as a professional. Meanwhile, Ngannou last fought in January 2022, outpointing former teammate Ciryl Gane to retain the UFC heavyweight title. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Why Fury vs Ngannou may tarnish the Gypsy King’s legacy forever Oleksandr Usyk recites poem and rap as Daniel Dubois vows to ‘unleash hell’ on champion Anthony Joshua slammed by Carl Froch for criticising ex-coach Rob McCracken The Independent’s pound-for-pound boxing rankings Tyson Fury seeks UFC star’s help ahead of Francis Ngannou fight Muhammad Ali’s ‘comedy’ fight shows Fury vs Ngannou isn’t the joke you think it is