RIYADH: Tyson Fury compared himself to Novak Djokovic after going face-to-face with Francis Ngannou at their weigh-in on Friday.
The towering Brit dismissed the punching threat posed by Ngannou, a former UFC star who will make his professional boxing debut Saturday at age 37.
“It’s like a table tennis champion facing Djokovic in the Wimbledon final — totally different,” the WBC heavyweight champion said.
The 35-year-old Fury weighed-in at 277.7 pounds while his Cameroonian opponent was 272.1 pounds after both men stepped on the scale in street clothes.
Moments later, Fury pushed his forehead into Ngannou, who responded with a chest-bump to give himself some space.
“I have played this game so long. This can’t get to me. It’s part of the game,” Ngannou said of Fury’s antics.
Both fighters predicted a quick evening on Sunday.
“We’re going to take a couple of minutes at the beginning, but I think this fight will end very quick,” Ngannou said.
Fury, the self-described “Gypsy King,” will earn a reported $50 million paycheck for the fight in the Saudi Arabian capital.
It’s a 10-round fight and will count as an official bout, according to the WBC. Fury’s belt will not be at stake, though, on the off-chance he is beaten.
“I’m going to make it nice and short for him,” Fury said.
Fury said he’ll take a week off afterward before discussing a fight with Oleksandr Usyk to unify all of the major heavyweight boxing titles.
Tyson Fury tries to provoke Francis Ngannou at weigh-in before Saudi Arabia fight
https://arab.news/pbwz6
Tyson Fury tries to provoke Francis Ngannou at weigh-in before Saudi Arabia fight
- Fury, the self-described “Gypsy King,” will earn a reported $50 million paycheck for the fight in Riyadh
Roshn Group announced as title partner of LIV Golf Riyadh
- LIV Golf’s season opener returns to the capital from Feb. 4-7 with entertainment over 4 nights under the lights
RIYADH: Roshn Group, Saudi Arabia’s leading real-estate developer, has been announced as the title partner of LIV Golf’s Riyadh event for 2026.
Roshn Group LIV Golf Riyadh will open the league’s 2026 season from Feb. 4-7 at Riyadh Golf Club, as it did last year. The event will again stage the world’s largest professional night-golf tournament.
The event will have some of the game’s leading players, live entertainment, and a range of premium hospitality and fan experiences across four nights of competition.
In 2025, fans were treated to drone light shows, live concerts from award-winning artists, and a Fan Village featuring rides, games, food trucks and family-friendly activities.
As a part of the group’s global partnership across all LIV Golf events, the two brands also launched the “Roshn Rising Stars” program, which will introduce 100 young people to the sport.
Chad Biggs, LIV Golf’s executive vice president and head of global partnerships, said: “Last season’s event under the lights in Riyadh delivered an event unlike anything else in the sports world.
“With ROSHN Group as the title partner this year, we’re excited to collectively build on that momentum in 2026 with an expanded four-day tournament, more entertainment, and enhanced fan experience.
Fans can expect a world-class field headlined by reigning LIV Golf Individual Champion Jon Rahm and last season’s Team Champions Legion XIII, alongside defending LIV Golf Riyadh 2025 winner Adrian Meronk of Cleeks Golf Club.
They will be joined by some of the sport’s biggest names, including Bryson DeChambeau (Crushers GC), Phil Mickelson (HyFlyers GC), Cam Smith (Ripper GC), Dustin Johnson (4Aces GC), Sergio Garcia (Fireballs GC), and Joaquin Niemann (Torque GC).
The 2026 field will feature 13 major champions with a combined 23 major championship titles.
Fans can secure their four-day and single-day grounds passes as well as hospitality packages at LIVGolf.com.
