Tyson Fury v Francis Ngannou: MMA star charts remarkable rise from sand quarries in Cameroon to boxi

He says he left the UFC "for freedom rather than money". The UFC's contracts prohibit athletes from competing in any form of combat sports without their permission.

But Ngannou wanted to box. UFC president Dana White believed that a potential fight between Ngannou and Anthony Joshua was a "gimmick", though, despite allowing Conor McGregor to fight Floyd Mayweather in 2017.

Regardless, Ngannou set about pursuing his dream. He signed with rival MMA promotion PFL in May and announced his boxing fight with Fury in July.

Fury says Ngannou could make as much as £8m from their fight, while his last UFC appearance earned him a reported £490,000. But the boxing move does not come without controversy.

The fight between Fury and Ngannou serves as one of the headline shows of Saudi Arabia's 'Riyadh Season'.

Saudi Arabia's increasing desire to host elite sporting events - including boxing matches, an annual Formula 1 race, and the 2034 World Cup - has caused controversy because of the country's human rights record.

Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi crown prince, said in September that he "does not care" about accusations that the country is "sportswashing" - investing in sport and using high-profile events to improve its international reputation.

In August, Saudi border guards were accused in a report by Human Rights Watch of the mass killing of migrants along the Yemeni border. Saudi Arabia has previously rejected allegations of systematic killings.

The scrutiny on Saudi Arabia has not, though, prevented elite-level sportspeople from competing there.

Ngannou, for his part, is trying to focus on sport.

"I went from the very bottom to the top - from nobody to somebody," Ngannou said.

"Sometimes I wake up in the night - I'm like 'hey man, am I tripping? Is it real?' Then I walk around and look at stuff and I'm like - 'I'm not dreaming. This is real.'"

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