- Tyson Fury is taking on Francis Ngannou in a crossover bout this evening
- Several famous faces from across the globe are in Saudi Arabia for the bout
- LISTEN: Exclusive Tyson Fury interview on THE HOOK – our new boxing podcast
- Follow Mail Sport’s LIVE coverage of Fury versus Ngannou HERE
Several famous faces have been spotted in Saudi Arabia for Tyson Fury’s ‘Battle of the Baddest’ crossover fight against Francis Ngannou.
The Gypsy King and former MMA star are set to do battle tonight in Riyadh in one of the most eagerly-anticipated bouts of the year, with ringwalks set to begin at 10:40PM.
It comes after a gala dinner was held on Friday where several celebrities and big names from across the sporting world were pictured together.
And even more famous faces were out in force on Saturday, with Cristiano Ronaldo – who relocated to Saudi Arabia last year when he joined Al-Nassr – seen spending time with Tommy Fury after he mingled backstage with Tyson last night. The Portuguese superstar was later pictured at the fight with his long-term partner Georgina Rodriguez.
A ‘World Champions Lunch’ was also held during the day, with several boxing legends such as Mike Tyson, Manny Pacquiao and MMA star Conor McGregor all in attendance.
Cristiano Ronaldo led the famous faces in attendance for Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou
Kanye West also showed up in Riyadh to take in the highly-anticipated crossover bout
Rio Ferdinand was out in Saudi Arabia and briefly joined TNT Sports for their live coverage
WWE chief Vince McMahon (right) and legendary wrestler The Undertaker (left) were there too
The Brazilian Ronaldo – current owner and chairman of Real Valladolid – was seen on TV
Conor McGregor discussed his comeback and was one of several other big names out in Saudi
Ronaldo’s former Manchester United team-mate Rio Ferdinand is out in Saudi Arabia and was seen in attendance at the fight.
The 44-year-old appeared on TNT Sport’s build-up to Fury-Ngannou and discussed the night ahead.
Elsewhere, Kanye West showed up in Riyadh to take in the boxing, as did WWE chief Vince McMahon and legendary wrestler ‘The Undertaker’.
Meanwhile, the Brazilian Ronaldo was in attendance, with the footballing legend currently keeping himself busy as owner and chairman of Spanish second tier side Real Valladolid.
McGregor was later seen ringside and provided an update on his fitness and potential comeback in April to TNT Sports.
Oleksandr Usyk – who signed a contract last month for an undisputed world heavyweight title battle later this year with Fury – was at the event too after he had exchanged an unexpected embrace with Fury on Friday night.
Legendary US rapper Eminem was also among the crowd. However, the now 51-year-old looked unrecognisable from his heyday in the spotlight as he wore a cap and appeared to be sporting a ponytail.
The likes of Aymeric Laporte, Sadio Mane, Allan Saint-Maximin and Franck Kessie, who now ply their trade in Saudi Arabia for Al-Nassr and Al-Ahli respectively, were seen ringside, sitting near to Ferdinand and McGregor.
Oleksandr Usyk was watching on ahead of a potential world title showdown with Fury
Allan Saint-Maximin, Franck Kessie and Aymeric Laporte were seen sitting ringside
Former Newcastle favourite Saint-Maximin now plies his trade for Al-Ahli after a summer move
Sadio Mane, who joined Al-Nassr from Bayern Munich in the summer, was similarly ringside
Ronaldo was spotted with Tommy Fury during the day on Saturday ahead of the fight
Many fighting legends like Mike Tyson, Conor McGregor and Manny Pacquiao are also in Saudi
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
