Amy Kaplan/Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesLegendary heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson believes the story of his working relationship with former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou could be something that appeals to Hollywood one day.
According to ESPN's Brett Okamoto, Tyson recalled fielding a call about training Ngannou and accepting, noting that their partnership could be fit for a movie at some point: "I said, 'Let's do it.' It's his story. They are going to make a movie out of this. [The way he looked up to me as a kid], that's how I felt about Roberto Duran, Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard."
Ngannou was a dominant force in the world of MMA, going 17-3 with 12 knockouts and beating Stipe Miocic for the UFC heavyweight title in 2021, but after a win over Ciryl Gane last year, he left UFC and vacated the title since they could not come to terms on a new contract.
While the 37-year-old signed with the Professional Fighters League (PFL), his current focus is on a foray into boxing and an upcoming fight against undefeated world heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury.
Knowing that Fury has a massive advantage when it comes to boxing experience, Ngannou enlisted one of the all-time great heavyweights in Tyson to prepare him for the bout.
Tyson took boxing by storm from the mid-1980s into the early-1990s, starting his professional career 37-0 and winning his first world heavyweight title in 1986 at the age of 20.
Iron Mike ended up posting a career record of 50-6 with two no contests, establishing himself as one of the greatest heavyweight boxers in history.
Ngannou has an uphill climb ahead of him when he faces Fury in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday, and there likely aren't many people expecting him to win.
If Ngannou can take down one of the best heavyweights of the past couple of decades in his first career boxing match, though, there may be something to Tyson's movie idea.
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