The former UFC star first met Ronaldo in January – and their friendship is clearly blossomingChisanga MalataPublished: 18:02, 26 Oct 2023Updated: 9:15, 27 Oct 2023Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

FRANCIS NGANNOU linked back up with Cristiano Ronaldo just days before the biggest fight of his career.

The Predator is in Saudi Arabia this week to lock horns with the WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, who he’ll take on in a controversial crossover clash on Saturday night.

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6Francis Ngannou locks horns with WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury on SaturdayCredit: GETTY

6Former UFC champ Ngannou has been in Saudi for the last fortnightCredit: GETTY

6The Predator recently met up with Al-Nassr and Portugal star Cristiano RonaldoCredit: TWITTER@FRANCISNGANNOU

6Ronaldo even took the time to take a snap with photo with Ngannou’s mumCredit: TWITTER@FRANCISNGANNOU

Former UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou has been in Saudi for the last fortnight preparing for the biggest moment of his combat sports career.

And he ended up bumping into a familiar face in Al-Nassr and Portugal ace Ronaldo after the Saudi side’s 4-3 win over Al-Duhail on Wednesday.

The MMA man-mountain shared a series of photos with himself and Ronaldo – who also posed for snaps with his mother and brother – on his X and Instagram accounts.

His accompanying caption read: “Great to see you this week my brother @Cristiano.

“And thank you for inviting me and my family out to @AlNassrFC game.”

Ngannou, 36, then confirmed that former Manchester United star and five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo will be in attendance for the fight.

He continued: “See you Saturday #FuryNgannou.”

Ngannou and Ronaldo are no strangers to one another, meeting one another in the Kingdom in January.

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6Francis Ngannou and Cristiano Ronaldo first met in Saudi in JanuaryCredit: INSTAGRAM@FRANCISNGANNOU

And PFL pounder Ngannou recently claimed Ronnie played a big role in his fight with Fury coming together.

Recalling their meeting during an appearance on The MMA Hour, the Cameroonian clubber said: “Yes, that’s where it started in that moment.”

In a separate interview with TMZ, he said: “We had a good talk. He told me that Saudi [Arabia] is the future.

“A lot of people doesn’t understand now but they are changing really fast, it’s moving really fast.

“And that’s even what I personally, that was my feeling when I get there.

“It was my first time going to Saudi and I was literally like, I didn’t really know how to carry myself, how to behave myself.

“But I get there and find out that everything is cool.

6

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“It was just like normal life. It’s pretty cool, man.”

Ngannou enters his professional boxing debut as a huge underdog, although trainer and boxing legend Mike Tyson is adamant he can shock the world and flatline The Gypsy King.

He told The Daily Mail: “I am helping Ngannou.

“I am learning what he is able to do. He’s able to do so much more than I anticipated.

“He has what it takes to knock out anything or anybody standing in his way.

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“Once he lands a punch on Tyson Fury’s jaw he is going to knock him out too.

“Nobody can survive that.”