Francis Ngannou vs Tyson Fury is close to being announced as per sources

Tyson Fury versus former UFC heavyweight star Francis Ngannou is one the most highly anticipated boxing matches of the year and has now been all but confirmed, with an announcement of the fight expected "very soon," according to sports journalist Ariel Helwani.

Fury, 34, is undefeated with a 33-0-1 record and has held the WBC heavyweight title since 2020. His last fight was over a year ago against Dillian Whyte.

"Tyson Fury x Francis Ngannou is expected to be announced very soon, per sources," Helwani tweeted.

Ngannou, 36, defeated Ciryl Gane in his final UFC fight in January 2022, leaving the company as heavyweight champion and with a 17-3-0 record.

He decided not to sign a contract extension and moved on to join the Professional Fighters League in May 2023.

Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao is an example of a fight that took years to develop, but Fury vs. Ngannou has only been in the works for about a year and a half.

After Fury defeated Whyte in April 2022, Ngannou entered the ring and the pair declared their battle will follow hybrid rules.