Mike Tyson teaches Francis Ngannou his infamous body shot

Mike Tyson and Francis Ngannou have been working together in anticipation of the PFL star’s venture into boxing. ‘The Predator’ will jump in at the deep end and go straight for the king’s crown when he collides with Tyson Fury next month. 

Having had a history of facing competitors taller than him, Mike Tyson has been spreading his knowledge to his new student. Though he doesn’t have much experience in the ring, there is much intrigue regarding the Cameroonian’s destructive power and how well his opponent will handle it.

Despite having an arsenal of weapons to choose from, Ngannou was spotted drilling his coach’s vicious body shot during a recent training session. The body shot is a staple of boxing but was a huge part of Tyson’s offense during his heyday under the lights.

There are many benefits from heavy blows to the body as seen over the years in combat sports. Firstly, a perfectly placed liver shot can make even the most powerful fighters curl up into a ball—with Brock Lesnar being one of many to have succumbed to that inside the UFC octagon. When struck to the body enough, fighters tend to drop their hands in anticipation of the shot, which subsequently opens up potential punishing attacks to the head.

Related: Mike Tyson believes Francis Ngannou vs. Tyson Fury the “biggest fight in all of sports”

Francis Ngannou will need to be at his very best and likely needs a lot of luck to beat a man considered by many to be the greatest of all time. To do so, he’ll have to become a much better boxer and hopes the guidance of Mike Tyson will have a positive enough effect before he steps into the ring.

The battle between two heavyweight powerhouses takes center stage in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on October 28. Despite holding the WBC heavyweight title among others, Tyson Fury will not be putting any on the line in his next outing.

Whether the help from Mike Tyson will be enough to get his hands raised next month, Francis Ngannou will have fulfilled one of his dreams by competing in boxing. His return to MMA is almost a certainty but a second move into the ring could also be on the horizon.