I've sparred Tom Hardy and Stephen Graham made world champion prediction – now I'm on Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou undercard
24/10/2023 12:30
Jack McGann is on the cusp of achieving big things in boxing.
The 8-0-1 fighter is scheduled to appear on the Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou card in Saudi Arabia this Saturday when he takes on the son of a boxing legend, Roberto Duran Jr.
McGann was formerly a mixed martial arts fighter who won 11 of his 16 fights before switching codes in 2017.
The 30-year-old was always destined to end up in MMA as his father, Anthony McGann, owned the legendary Wolfslair gym in Widnes where UFC legend Michael Bisping trained.
It was through his dad he met Tom Hardy, who fell in love with combat sports while he was training to play a fighter in the 2011 movie 'Warrior'.
McGann has sparred with the Peaky Blinders actor and recently claimed he has what it takes to make a career out of professional boxing – but advised him not to quit his extremely lucrative day job.
"He's one of the loveliest, nicest people you'll meet," he told Sloth Boxx.
"When it comes to fighting and boxing, he's got that little nasty streak which is what you need. He bites down, goes forward, doesn't back up.
"I wouldn't like to see him change profession but if he had to, he'd do really well."
Through Hardy, the super welterweight prospect became friends with actor Stephen Graham who made a bold prediction about McGann's fighting future several years ago.
In 2018, a documentary called ‘Jack McGann: From Cage to Ring’ was released and featured Graham as its presenter.
At the end of the film, he backed McGann to become a world champion, saying "The big question is, can an MMA fighter become a world championship boxer? Why not. Can Jack McGann become world champion? Yeah, he can."
Five years later, the Boiling Point star is watching excitedly as McGann works to make his prediction come true.
In March, he won his first boxing belt when he stopped Laszlo Toth to become the first-ever IBO European super welterweight champion.
This weekend, he'll look to stretch his unbeaten record when he features on Fury and Ngannou's ‘Battle of the Baddest’ card, which is one of the most anticipated boxing events of 2023.
A win will secure McGann a shot at the British title.
'The Pilgrim' was recently approved by The British Boxing Board of Control as the mandatory for the super welterweight title currently held by 17-2 fighter Samuel Antwi.
McGann is expected to face Antwi by the end of March 2024.
First, he's got the chance to make his famous friends proud by knocking out Duran Jr. and stealing a little bit of limelight from Fury in a few days' time.
