"“FUMBLED” ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP" - Fans slam Francis Ngannou 'doubters' amid Tyson Fury fight announcement

At one point, many members of the MMA community had written off Francis Ngannou for leaving the UFC to pursue boxing. Many were wondering if Ngannou fumbled the bag by leaving the premier MMA promotion, despite being the heavyweight champion.

Folks argued that Ngannou would not be able to reach the same levels of success as he did in the UFC. Former UFC featherweight champion and retired MMA fighter Jose Aldo stated that Ngannou committed 'Haraki' by turning his back on the organization that elevated his successes.

Many were also uncertain if Ngannou's hopes of boxing Tyson Fury would come to fruition. Now that Fury vs. Ngannou has been confirmed for October 18th in Saudi Arabia, fans are going after Francis Ngannou's detractors. The Cameroonian mixed-martial artists posted the following soon after the boxing match was confirmed:

"Never doubt a man with hope and faith."

A fan with the handle '@ZohebMMA' posted the following reply to Ngannou's post:

"Francis Ngannou 'fumbled' all the way to the top."

Here are some other reactions to Francis Ngannou's Twitter post:

Francis Ngannou and Tyson Fury will box for 10 rounds, and the bout will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. According to the WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman, Fury's heavyweight title will not be on the line for this match.

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"It's disappointing for boxing, but I get it" - Eddie Hearn on Francis Ngannou vs. Tyson Fury exhibition match

Eddie Hearn expressed that Tyson Fury wants to fight in boxing for a massive payday, rather than chasing legacy, i.e., defending his title against the Cameroonian former UFC heavyweight champion. Hearn claimed that Fury could fight Ngannou 'a million times and not lose', but has chosen to make a pay-day off the boxing deal with team Ngannou.

Here's what Eddie Hearn said:

"Tyson Fury is not interesting, really, in undisputed [status] and legacy. He wants. to go out an make a load of money. So he's fighting a guy that he could fight a million times and not lose. And he's probably going to make 30-40 million quid in the process. Good luck to him. It's disappointing for boxing, but I get it."

While the bout between Fury and Ngannou was supposed a 'done deal' last week, multiple sources have confirmed that the bout will be an exhibition match. Fury and Ngannou will box for 10 rounds in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Sources also confirmed that the bout won't be contested for Fury's WBC heavyweight title.

Here's a tweet by Ariel Helwani confirming the date and location of the fight:

"As reported last week, Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou is a done deal. And this morning, it was officially announced. October 28th [is the date]. [The bout will take place] in Saudi Arabia. [It will be an exhibition] boxing match]. More details to come. But it's all signed, sealed and completed."