All eyes will be on Riyadh this Saturday as “The Battle of the Baddest” takes place between WBC world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury and former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. Despite there being no titles on the line in Saudi Arabia this weekend, this will be by far one of the biggest boxing events of the year, with Fury expected to net in excess of $50 million for the bout.
In line with recent trends in boxing, this clash is part gimmick, with Ngannou making his boxing debut, and part genuine as the Cameroon-native was a devastating striker in the UFC Octagon. How seriously will Fury be taking him? Is there a chance that the best heavyweight this generation has seen will get found out in this cross over fight?
Read on as we break down all the latest betting odds from bookmaker bet365 and outline the best bets to make this weekend on Fury vs. Ngannou.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: October 27th, 3:30 P.M. (GMT)
From the get go, oddsmakers haven’t been giving Ngannou much of a chance at all. The UFC star pays a long 9.00 to defeat Fury, with the Brit returning a low 1.071 for his victory. In terms of how bookmaker bet365 sees this one unfolding, Fury by way of knockout is by far the most popular betting option, with this result paying just 1.18.
After a Fury knockout, this is where the method of victory odds becomes interesting. Fury on points pays 6.00, while Ngannou by knockout returns 10.00. The Cameroonian winning on the judges’ cards sits at an astronomical 67.00, way ahead of even a draw which returns 41.00.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: October 27th, 3:30 P.M. (GMT)
Obviously, this fight should end early at the hands of Tyson Fury. He’s a world champion, boxing is what he does, and Ngannou, despite all of his mixed martial arts accolades, is making his boxing debut. Considering the odds of 6.00 for Fury winning by points, however, we believe there’s value in taking this method of victory bet.
Francis Ngannou is fast and has never been knocked out. Sure, he’s not going to outbox Fury—hence the odds of 67.00 for him winning by decision—but if he implements the right game-plan that combines plenty of movement, this fight very well could go the distance. We have no idea what kind of shape Fury will turn up in, or where his head will be at.
Over the past decade, Fury has had some strange fights where he’s gone the distance with lesser fighters. If he’s not 100 percent locked in on Saturday night and treats this as more of a sparring session ahead of a title fight against Usyk, a bet on Fury winning by decision could well bring in a handy 6.00.
