Francis Ngannou claims he is Man United’s ‘favourite heavyweight boxer’ as the ex-UFC superstar poses in a Red Devils shirt ahead of 3-2 defeat to Borussia Dortmund in Las Vegas
- Francis Ngannou has claimed he is ‘Man United’s favourite heavyweight boxer’
- He was pictured at the Red Devil’s pre-season defeat against Borussia Dortmund
- Ngannou will take on fellow United fan Tyson Fury later this October in the ring
Francis Ngannou has claimed that he is ‘Manchester United‘s favourite heavyweight boxer’.
The former UFC fighter, who is set to do battle with known United fan Tyson Fury in October, was present as Erik ten Hag’s side succumbed to a 3-2 defeat to Borussia Dortmund in Las Vegas on Sunday.
And it was a disappointing performance from United, with the Dutch manager blasting his team after the game for an ‘unforgivable’ capitulation, which is notably their third pre-season loss on the bounce in the US.
The Red Devils took the lead through Diogo Dalot inside 25 minutes, but conceded twice with Donyell Malen scoring a duo of goals in a matter of seconds at the end of the first-half.
Antony would secure an equalizer after the break but with the scores tied, Youssoufa Moukoko would find a winner for Dortmund in the 76th minute, in front of more than 50,000 fans at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Francis Ngannou (right) was seen on the sidelines chatting to Man United manager Erik ten Hag during the Red Devil’s pre-season defeat to Borussia Dortmund in Las Vegas
He posted a photo on his Instagram claiming he was ‘Man United’s favourite heavyweight boxer’ teasing Tyson Fury (pictured) who is a known supporter of the club
Ngannou was one of those in the crowd and was pictured sporting the club’s new home jersey with ‘Ngannou 7’ printed on the back.
He appeared on the club’s official Instagram stories, shaking hands with Ten Hag, before posting several videos on his own account, signing autographs for fans inside the stadium.
The 36-year-old, who is widely regarded as one of the hardest punchers in the world, also posed for a picture on the side of the pitch with his fists aloft, and posted the picture on his social media account, teasing his upcoming opponent, Fury, with his caption.
He wrote: ‘@ManchesterUnited’s favourite heavyweight boxer is in the building. Can’t wait to watch the match tonight in Vegas. @WeAreUnited #FuryNgannou.’
Fury, who hails from the town of Wythenshawe which sits a 30 minute drive south of Manchester’s city centre, is a known United fan having been pictured at Old Trafford supporting the side on numerous occasions.
He sensationally claimed last year that club legend Wayne Rooney would be his sparring partner ahead of his proposed fight with Oleksandr Usyk that ultimately fell through.
Fury (pictured) will take on Ngannou in a much anticipated fight in Saudi Arabia later this October
Ngannou (left) was seen chatting to several United players at the game including Andre Onana (right)
The former UFC heavyweight champion will enter the ring for the first time against Fury, who has received much criticism for snubbing a fight with Oleksandr Usyk
The British fighter has been heavily criticised for snubbing the Ukrainian fighter and instead opting to fight the former UFC heavyweight champion.
Last week, Zhilei Zhang accused the WBC champion of avoiding legitimate challengers, while some fans have hit out at his decision to fight the former UFC star with some calling him ‘pathetic’.
Ngannou, who has been beaten just three times in his glittering UFC career, will step into the boxing ring for the first time in his career with the pair set to do battle in Saudi Arabia later this year.
His most recent win came against Ciryl Gane, where he won via unanimous decision to retain his heavyweight championship belt.
