Standing a chance against Tyson Fury would require Francis Ngannou to quit mixed martial arts and train solely in boxing for three years.
The UFC heavyweight champion took to social media last week to accept a shocking call from The Gypsy King.
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But Predator’s longtime coach Fernand Lopez believes he’ll need to immerse himself in the sweet science over the next three years to have any hope of hanging out with the WBC heavyweight champion.
The head of the MMA factory said: “I think the fight makes sense for Francis because he thinks he can cash in.
“There’s also something to Tyson Fury – he doesn’t care that it’s not a competitive fight, he just wants to make money and make some news.
“From a boxing standpoint with Tyson Fury, Francis Nganou will take at least three years to be competitive, and I mean three years devoted only to boxing.
“Really he has to stop everything else and probably do nothing else for three years, only boxing. No scuffles, nothing more.”
Nganou, 34, has shown conditioning problems in the past and Lopez believes he will rear his head in a fight with Fury.
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He continued: “The way his body and muscles are built will not allow him to throw punches after the third round.
“I’m not sure Francis can ever challenge Tyson Fury’s stamina or stamina.”
Should the shock bout take place, Lopez can only see former Lineal Heavyweight Champion Fury raise his hand.
He said: “All he can do is have a high defense; be elusive, close footwork, change direction.
“But eventually Tyson will wear him down, tire him out, work on the body and then go up with the uppercut, and sooner or later Francis will give up because of the volume, because of the pressure shots and he’ll just go down. Doesn’t see how he can win the match, this is a chance for him to cash out.
“I’m not sure it’s worth giving up everything if you’re a UFC fighter and have three years of steady boxing training – how would you live your life, what would your income be?
“And after three years you can be competitive enough to just stand there and keep punching.
“We’re not expecting anything spectacular, Francis isn’t a boxer. You train a lot to be a boxer.
“Boxing needs dedication, boxing needs sacrifice, you need years and years of training. So we know the outcome of that fight.”
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That being said, Lopez considered his former student – who is said to be out of contract at the end of the year – could make a bumper payday while fighting Fury.
He added: “The question is how much money Francis Nganou can make, because he only has one shot.
“Frankly, he cannot think of making a boxing career as his boxing skills will not be enough for him to become a boxer.
“Francis Nganou wants to move to boxing, but that can only happen if he is a champion.
“If he leaves the UFC and he’s not a champion, no matter what company he wants to go to, it won’t look good. We have to keep that in mind.
“You can’t ask for a new contract with a clause that allows you to go into boxing, it doesn’t make any sense.
“And you can’t force it on the UFC, now you’re a big name because you want to capitalize on it – these are not the terms of the deal.”
Quotes from this article first appeared on the Betway US blog
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