In recent weeks, boxing heavyweight champion Tyson Fury and UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones have engaged in a war of words regarding a potential match between the two. However, Fury has firmly stated that such a clash is simply absurd.
Fury recently spent some training at Phuket, Thailand’s Bangtao Muay Thai & MMA Gym. In addition to engaging in several sparring sessions, the heavyweight boxer had a Q&A with Bangtao’s other instructors, boxers, students, as well as head coach George Hickman. Fury also spoke about Jon Jones and the potential for a future match in a ring or cage.
Fury attributes the entire discourse to a comment made by UFC commentator Joe Rogan. In a video, Fury expressed his displeasure.
He said: “To be honest with you, all this talk of a me and Jon Jones fighting in a cage is absolutely ridiculous. Like, I’m the lineal world heavyweight champion. The man who beat the man going back to John L. Sullivan. Why would I even dream of going in a cage and wrestling and all that? It’s not my thing.”
Fury said that Rogan claimed that if Fury and Jones were locked in a room together, Fury would be defeated severely. Fury further clarifies that Rogan did not specify whether it would be a boxing or in MMA , and he firmly believes that his expertise lies solely in boxing.
Fury continued: “He didn’t say an MMA fight or a boxing fight, he said go in a room together and Tyson Fury’s not walking out. So I don’t know where it all started and Jon said something and I said something and we’ve being going back and forward.”
“There was never talk of me saying I was going to go in a cage with Jon Jones and go in there and get my arm snapped off. No way. The thing was, I offered Jon, you want to walk in a boxing ring and make some real money then come and fight me. But zero chance of me going in an MMA game and rolling around and all that. Zero.”
Fury clarified that his proposal to Jones was not about an MMA bout but rather a boxing match that would generate substantial revenue. He extended an invitation to Jones to step into the boxing ring and face him, aiming to provide both combatants with a lucrative opportunity.
Fury categorically dismisses the notion of participating in an MMA event, highlighting his lack of experience and expertise in grappling and takedowns.
Fury continued: “I’ve offered to fight Ngannou in a cage under boxing rules with four ounce gloves on and guess what’s happened? His a**ehole fell out.”
“Obviously my forte is not taking people down and all that sort of stuff, it’s different for me. It’s like, yeah I’m going to fly a jet plane. I don’t know how to fly a jet plane, I have no idea. In a stand up sport, in punching combat, whether it’s in a cage, in a phone box, whatever it’s going to be, if they want to do that, then no problem. But definitely not, I’m not going into any MMA fights.”
Fury went on to explain in great detail why he or any other boxer would not like their chances in MMA. He said: “It doesn’t farewell for boxers. I’ve only ever known one boxer to win and that’s Ray Mercer when he knocked out Tim Sylvia with one punch and that was it. All the rest of them, James Toney got done by Randy Couture, quite a few of them have been done quite quickly.”
The most recent match of Tyson Fury took place in December. He successfully defended the WBC championship at that time by TKOing Derek Chisora in the tenth round.