Last Saturday, April 25, saw Tyson Fury take on Dillian Whyte at Wembley Stadium.
The hype was immensely high for the fight and the boxing world had been talking about it for months in advance, including the possibility of Fury’s retirement once the fight had finished.
In truth, the Gypsy King was dominant as the fight progressed and, in the sixth round, he was able to hit a right uppercut to end the bout.
Fury has vowed to retire from boxing, but is now eyeing an interesting crossover clash with UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou.
Finances are obviously a huge part of combat sports and the huge fight between Fury and Whyte was promoted by Frank Warren. He won the rights to promote the fight with a huge bid of $41 million ($32 million), a portion of which contributed to the winner’s purse, with the rest being split 80/20 between the pair.
Fury’s base purse was $29.5 million (£23 million) and once his winner’s bonus was added for finishing Whyte in round six, he ended up taking home $33.6 million (£26.2 million).
LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 23: Tyson Fury celebrates victory after the WBC World Heavyweight Title Fight between Tyson Fury and Dillian Whyte at Wembley Stadium on April 23, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
When looking at these figures, it’s easy to see why Ngannou would want to step into the ring with Fury, particularly given the Cameroonian’s recent contract disputes with the UFC.
Recently, Ngannou fought the last fight on his current deal against Ciryl Gane. The UFC champion retained his title via decision, even though he came into the fight with a knee injury.
In terms of money, he earned $600,000 (£471,000) which is measly when compared to that of Tyson Fury. In fact, it's 56 times LESS than what the Brit earned!
Due to being the current champion, Ngannou has a clause in his contract requiring him to work three more fights or an extra year - whichever happens first. He has since teased the fight with Fury and could explore more options over his upcoming free agency.
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 22: Francis Ngannou of Cameroon looks on against Ciryl Gane of France in their heavyweight title fight during the UFC 270 event at Honda Center on January 22, 2022 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
When he is freed from his current deal, Francis has expressed interest in a more flexible deal that allows for more crossovers into the boxing world, expanding past Tyson Fury to include the likes of Deontay Wilder and and Anthony Joshua.
While speaking to the MMA Hour, Ngannou expanded on this. “Even when trying to reach out for a deal, they came out with a good amount of money, but at this point that doesn’t even matter.
“I left that all down on the table. I’m taking my $600,000, I’m going there, I’m doing this and I’m winning everything.
“I left a lot more on the table. Overall, I’ve been leaving a lot of money on the table even since the Stipe fight. By now, I might be down $7 million that I left on the table.
Fury & Ngannou
“This is the thing. Freedom doesn’t work with money. You give up one for one. Whether you want freedom, whether you want money. You give up one to gain one.”
Wherever Ngannou goes next, he has certainly teased some mouthwatering battles.
He’s known for devastating punch power, so coming up against the Bronze Bomber Deontay Wilder would be a treat, as well as the once unthinkable clashes with Fury and Joshua.
Fans are likely to be desperate to know what’s next for the current UFC heavyweight champion.