Written by Luke Power for Mailonline
Updated at 09:17 on October 24, 2023, 09:17 on October 24, 2023
Cristiano Ronaldo gifted UFC legend Francis Ngannou a piece ahead of his crossover fight with Tyson Fury in Saudi Arabia this weekend Watch worth £87,000.
Ngannou smiles as he shows off a Jacob and Co watch with a CR7-style case.
He received a gift from a limited edition collection called “Heart of Ronaldo” outside the Jacob and Co store.
“I have to pick up my new watch before boxing week in Riyadh,” Ngannou wrote, calling Ronaldo his “brother.”
The two met in Riyadh in January after Ngannou was released from his UFC contract, and he called the footballer “inspirational” at the time.
Ronaldo is known to be a fan of combat sports, having once admitted that he prefers watching boxing or UFC to football.
He has previously been photographed with a number of stars from that world, including Floyd Mayweather, Anthony Joshua and Conor McGregor.
Ngannou is preparing for a blockbuster fight with Fury, which has drawn criticism from fans who want the latter to face Alexander Usyk.
Dubbed “The Fight of the Strongest,” the fight will see the Nigerian MMA fighter compete in his first professional boxing match.
He will earn more than he has earned in his 14-fight UFC career, with his earnings expected to be around £6 million.
Ngannou wasn’t a nobody in the UFC either – he left as the reigning heavyweight champion.
Mike Tyson has been training Ngannou to prepare him for this exhibition fight.
Although Fury’s WBC belt has yet to be determined, the Gypsy King has previously stated that he will not appear in public if he loses, underscoring how much this fight means to him.
Last week, Fury said he would knock out his opponent “within six rounds.”
He added: “Listen, no one can take that power away from me. No one. These heavyweights don’t stand a chance.