Tyson Fury lands in Riyadh for Francis Ngannou fight

Tyson Fury, the WBC heavyweight champion of the world, is no stranger to Saudi Arabia. (File/AFP)
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Updated 18 October 2023
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Tyson Fury lands in Riyadh for Francis Ngannou fight

  • ‘The Battle of the Baddest’ takes place on Oct. 28 at Boulevard Hall in Saudi Arabia’s capital

Tyson Fury touched down in Riyadh yesterday ahead of his blockbuster boxing match with Francis Ngannou, and as the game’s ultimate showman, immediately started talking up the fight.

The contest — billed as “The Battle of the Baddest” — will take place on Oct. 28 and will mark the start of Riyadh Season.

Tyson, the WBC heavyweight champion of the world, is no stranger to the Kingdom, and reportedly commented upon arrival: “I’m very happy to have just landed here in Saudi Arabia. It’s my third time here in a few years. It’s a very lovely place and I’m very happy to be fighting here.”

The two giants of the fight game will be battling it out for the WBC Commemorative Riyadh Champion Belt.

Ever the showman, Fury hyped up what he plans to bring to Riyadh’s latest high-profile boxing event.

“The Gypsy King delivers entertainment, day-in, day-out,” he said. “That’s what I do. I’m here because I’m the best at what I do and that’s entertaining.”

Fury is the lineal heavyweight boxing champion of the world, and Ngannou is the former UFC heavyweight champion.

The 35-year-old Fury sees this spectacle as important for his legacy.

“Next Saturday is going to be one of the best nights in combats sports that’s remembered,” he said. “People will be saying ‘Where were you Oct. 28, 2023?’”

“It’s the biggest event in the world of combat sports for sure. No other thing can come close to this … It’s going off. Unbelievable.”


Medvedev to face Griekspoor in bid for second Dubai title

Updated 55 min 39 sec ago
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Medvedev to face Griekspoor in bid for second Dubai title

  • Former world No. 1 Medvedev demolished top seed Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada in the semifinal
  • Despite an injury, unseeded Dutchman Griekspoor beat 5th-seed Andrey Rublev in the ‌other semifinal

DUBAI: Daniil Medvedev reached the Dubai ‌Tennis Championships final on Friday and will face unseeded Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor as the Russian attempts to achieve something that has eluded him throughout his ​stellar career — winning the same tournament twice.
Former world number one Medvedev demolished top seed Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-4 6-2 in an 83-minute semifinal, setting up a title clash that could see him claim a second Dubai crown to go with his 2023 triumph.
Medvedev, who has won 22 titles at 22 different tournaments, arrived in Dubai with a point to prove after ‌early exits in ‌Rotterdam and Doha.
However, the third seed ​has ‌been ⁠in scintillating ​form ⁠in Dubai, dispatching Shang Juncheng, Stan Wawrinka, Jenson Brooksby and Auger-Aliassime — all in straight sets.
“It has been an amazing four matches, probably playing better and better each match, today being the best performance,” said Medvedev.
“If I can put in an even better performance tomorrow, I will have my chances to win and that ⁠is what I am going to try to ‌do.”

Griekspoor battles injury to beat Rublev
Standing ‌in his way will be Griekspoor, ​who continued his giant-killing run ‌by beating fifth seed Andrey Rublev 7-5 7-6(6) in the ‌other semifinal.
The Dutchman denied the 2022 champion, who also finished runner-up the following year, another shot at the Dubai trophy, saving two set points in the second-set tiebreak.
“No idea how I pulled off this one, ‌I could barely walk at the end of the first set,” said Griekspoor, who took ⁠a medical timeout ⁠for treatment in the opening set.
“He served extremely well. I got very lucky in the tiebreak to win it in two sets ... I landed with a serve and felt something in my hamstring.
“If he had won the tiebreak, I don’t know if I would have continued.”
It marked three consecutive top-20 wins for Griekspoor for the first time in his career after he beat second seed Alexander Bublik and Jakub Mensik en route to the final.
Griekspoor, who has won three ATP 250 ​titles in his career, will ​be looking to add a first ATP 500 trophy to his collection when he faces Medvedev.