I can't pretend I'm not rooting for Ngannou in this strange but undeniably appealing crossover showdown. He has had an unfathomably difficult life. He underwent a harsh journey from Cameroon to Spain. He spent time in a Spanish prison as a result of his journey to Europe. He lived on the streets of Paris.

In spite of all that, he has already achieved more than most MMA fighters could ever dream of, beating the likes of Alistair Overeem, Junior dos Santos, Cain Velasquez and Stipe Miocic en route to winning the UFC heavyweight title. To see him take things even further by beating one of the greatest boxers of a generation in his boxing debut? It would be one of the most epic sporting feats in modern history. That's not hyperbole.

I want to believe it's possible. I really, really want to believe it. But how can you possibly pick Ngannou over Fury, who will be younger, taller, longer, faster, more experienced and levels better at boxing when they step into the ring together this Saturday? It just can't be done with a straight face.

Yes, Ngannou has a ton of punching power. The 37-year-old could punch a planet out of orbit, and all it will take for him to shock the world is one good punch. But landing that punch against Fury, 35, who moves as well as any heavyweight I've ever seen, is going to be incredibly difficult—and more and more so as the fight goes on.

I'll give Ngannou a minuscule chance of blowing Fury away in a wild exchange in the opening seconds of this fight, but I'm sure not betting on it. My guess is Fury plays the matador for a few rounds—at worst catching a few shots on the shoulders and arms—then takes over when Ngannou slows down, which may not take long. From there, it's just a question of how long he wants to play with his food.

Fury by TKO, Round 5

—Tom Taylor