UFC Heavyweights Line Up To Challenge Tyson Fury

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After their first bout ended in a somewhat controversial / somewhat appropriate draw, Tyson Fury erased all doubts about who was the better fighter in his rematch with Deontay Wilder. Fury dropped Wilder twice, hurting him badly in the third round with a shot to the ear that left Wilder on wobbly legs until one of his cornermen mercifully stopped the fight in the 7th round (watch the highlights here). It was a masterful performance that left everyone excited to see what was next for the “Gypsy King.”

It’ll probably a rematch with Deontay Wilder … both men had a rematch clause written into their contracts, and their rivalry has turned into a very lucrative affair.

Meanwhile, we don’t think we’re in the minority wanting a Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua fight.

But that hasn’t stopped a couple of UFC heavyweights from throwing their hat into the ring, calling out Fury on social media. First there’s heavyweight champ Stipe Miocic, who may just be excited at the prospect of fighting in a sport where the glove design prevents horrific eye trauma instead of encouraging it.

And then there’s Francis Ngannou, who we’d honestly rather see fight Deontay.

Of course, there’s no reason for Stipe or Francis to step into the boxing ring to get wrecked by Fury … other than the benjamins. Tyson Fury reportedly made somewhere between $25 and $40 million dollars in the Wilder rematch. Even as the man who managed to defend the heavyweight belt more than any other UFC heavyweight, Stipe Miocic hasn’t even sniffed the bottom end of that estimate when you add up every cent ever paid to him by the UFC. You could throw Francis Ngannou’s lifetime MMA earnings to the pile and still not be even close.

You’d think after the latest news story underscoring the pathetic state of UFC fighter pay, their athletes would be talking union. Instead it’s more of the same: weak attempts to build support for a lucrative crossover fight that the UFC will never allow.