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Tyson Fury admits he didn't train for Francis Ngannou: 'It was play' Tyson Fury has admitted he did not take Francis Ngannou seriously, a mindset that nearly cost him the fight. Fury faced Ngannou in October 2023 in the latter's professional boxing debut. Despite being knocked down by a powerful punch in the third round, Fury recovered to edge Ngannou by split decision over 10 rounds. In a recent interview with ALF Global, Fury admitted he was underprepared for his bout with Ngannou. He explained that he viewed the matchup more as an exhibition than a serious fight. “No, I didn’t train for him because I didn’t think he was a good fighter,” Fury said. “I knew he was a good fighter, but to me it’s levels to boxing.” Fury explained that he viewed the matchup differently because the former Ultimate Fighting Championship champ doesn’t have any boxing credentials or accolades. The Englishman also discussed Ngannou’s mindset going into the fight. “When you do an exhibition fight, play, it wasn’t really a fight, do you understand what I’m saying?” Fury said. “It wasn’t, in my mind, a fight; it’s just an exhibition, a game. To him, to Ngannou, it was, ‘Ah, big fight, I fight Tyson Fury!’ To me, it was play, a game, you know what I mean?” Fury is rumored to be taking on Anthony Joshua later this year, with negotiations still underway regarding the date and location. Fury faced Ngannou in October 2023 in the latter's professional boxing debut. Despite being knocked down by a powerful punch in the third round, Fury recovered to edge Ngannou by split decision over 10 rounds. Advertisement Francis Ngannou knocked Fury down after the heavyweight dismissed the bout as an exhibition In a recent interview with ALF Global, Fury admitted he was underprepared for his bout with Ngannou. He explained that he viewed the matchup more as an exhibition than a serious fight. “No, I didn’t train for him because I didn’t think he was a good fighter,” Fury said. “I knew he was a good fighter, but to me it’s levels to boxing.” Fury explained that he viewed the matchup differently because the former Ultimate Fighting Championship champ doesn’t have any boxing credentials or accolades. The Englishman also discussed Ngannou’s mindset going into the fight. “When you do an exhibition fight, play, it wasn’t really a fight, do you understand what I’m saying?” Fury said. “It wasn’t, in my mind, a fight; it’s just an exhibition, a game. To him, to Ngannou, it was, ‘Ah, big fight, I fight Tyson Fury!’ To me, it was play, a game, you know what I mean?” Fury is rumored to be taking on Anthony Joshua later this year, with negotiations still underway regarding the date and location. « Previous John Martin hails Cris Cyborg, addresses potential boxing bout with Claressa Shields Next Claressa Shields: Cris Cyborg turned down $2 million to fight me at 154 pounds » More