Mike Tyson will play a key role in the upcoming Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou crossover boxing match.

Fury will be boxing the former UFC heavyweight champion and current PFL star in a 10-round fight taking place Oct. 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

It's going to be a massive payday for Ngannou, despite many observers believing he has virtually zero chance against the WBC heavyweight champion.

While the odds won't be in his favor, Ngannou is doing all he can do to ensure he gets the victory in his professional boxing debut.

That includes getting former heavyweight champion Tyson as his main trainer for the contest.

“It is no secret I back Ngannou 100 percent in this face-off of champions,” Tyson said in a statement (via Yahoo Finance). “He has one hard punch, and when it lands, it's game over. I am looking forward to working with Ngannou and supporting his transition from the octagon to the boxing ring.

“He isn't a combat novice; he is a world champion. He knows how to compete when the bell rings, but the key will be combining his energy and combat skills into his punches and using his agility to move swiftly around the ring then delivering the knock-out blow. We're here to win.”

It will definitely be interesting to see how Fury reacts to this development as well as Tyson's comments. After all, he was named after the Baddest Man on the Planet with the American also being his boxing idol.

Ngannou, however, is naturally pleased to add Tyson's wealth of knowledge and expertise to his training camp and believes it's one of the best decisions he could have made ahead of the Fury fight.

“Bringing Mike Tyson into my training camp is one of the best decisions I can make to prepare for Tyson Fury in the ring at this year's Riyadh Season,” Ngannou said. “Mike Tyson is an idol of mine in the sport. His experience and boxing IQ will be important to honing my technique under his guidance to win this super-fight.

“I've been wanting this fight for years and now that it's here, I'm focused on fighting the greatest fight of my career and shocking the world on the most epic stage for the fans in RiyadhOctober 28th, the world will know who's the ‘Baddest Man on The Planet.'”