Tyson Fury has thrown his heavyweight support behind Alexander Volkanovski and his shock mental health reveal following UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi, urging Australia’s UFC featherweight champ: “Dust yourself off … and kick arse”.

It comes as ‘The Great’ has also elaborated on the reasons behind his emotive post-fight statements, explaining the teary speech was a combination of being kayoed, realising his days “are numbered” and “trying to deal with being a high-performance athlete and not being able to fulfil that side of things”.

Among the most recognised athletes in world sport, Fury has offered his support to Volkanovski as the English megastar prepares to face former UFC heavyweight king Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia this Sunday.

The hyped headliner – which will be shown live on Main Event – will be the first professional boxing appearance for Ngannou, who UFC president Dana White once revealed owned the world record for heaviest punch on the planet.

BOXING: Fury v Ngannou SUN 29th OCT 4AM AEDT | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports

Only last Sunday, it was Volkanovski looking to create his own slice of combat sports history when he moved up a weight class, and on only 11 days notice, to challenge UFC lightweight king Islam Makhachev.

Despite having suffered a contentious decision loss to Makhachev back in February, the Aussie this time around was dropped by a brutal head kick in the first round – then finished with a series of hammer fists on the ground.

Speaking after the fight however, Volkanovski made the shock revelation that a large part of his reasons for taking the fight on such short notice – rather than the bumper new UFC contract revealed by Fox Sports Australia – was to do with what he hinted were mental health issues.

Choking back tears, an emotional Volkanovski admitted to struggling while not in camp, and said he effectively had to take the fight when it was offered to him as being out of the gym “was doing my head in”.

Fury has also been extremely open in the past about his own mental health battles and was quick to throw his support behind the Wollongong slugger, who is already talking about another defence of his UFC featherweight title in January.

“What I’d say to Alexander is keep going,” Fury said.

“He’s a very good professional athlete. You win some, you lose some, dust yourself off and get back in there and kick ass.”

Speaking with The Mac Life, Fury added that he had also had a lot of “uncertainty” around his own career over the past year, before signing off on consecutive fights against Ngannou and then a heavyweight unification bout against WBA, WBO and IBF belt holder Oleksandr Usyk – slated for either December or January.

“I have been in that situation all year,” Fury explained. “I’ve not boxed since last year, early December of ‘22.

“There was a lot of uncertainty if I’d even box again.

“Then right out of the blue, all of this has come, and here we are. I’ve got not one, but two fights lined up.”

BOXING: Fury v Ngannou SUN 29th OCT 4AM AEDT | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports

Ngannou, meanwhile, has revealed he and Fury will “run it back” should he upset the boxing world in Sunday’s crossover clash – and also has his sights on a future fight with another British superstar, Anthony Joshua.

Despite being a huge underdog for the Fury clash, the former UFC champ is convinced he can upset the ‘Gypsy King’ and ruin all plans for that undisputed title fight with Usyk.

“I think if I am victorious we are going to run it back, for sure,” Ngannou told Sky Sports. “Then maybe see Anthony Joshua for after.”

Usyk, however, is tipping his own fight with Fury goes ahead as planned.

Speaking with Sky Sports this week, the champ said: “This bout is bread and butter for Tyson Fury.

“When someone’s saying that Ngannou can drop him, I would probably agree, but I’m really not certain.

“Tell me: How could the guy with no experience in boxing beat a two-metre giant who’s been in boxing for 20 years?

“Yes, Ngannou is a UFC champion, I’m not disputing it; but UFC isn’t boxing.

“I’m 100 per cent sure that Fury will be victorious.

“But if Ngannou’s relatively got a puncher’s chance, and if he hypothetically happens to send Fury tumbling to the canvas, I’ll concede that I was talking gibberish.

“It’s better to wait, we’ll see everything in a while.”

Speaking on his Youtube channel overnight, Volkanovski elaborated on his emotional UFC 294 post-fight comments, explaining how while he and his family were fine, the champ also understood his days in the sport are numbered.

“Straight after the fight, I did the post-fight press conference and I want people to understand that, yeah, there was a raw emotion seen, but I want everyone to know that I’m OK,” he said.

“I think that people have to remember that I did just come off getting tagged, knocked out. I lost.

“I knew that legacy wise and all that, all those things start coming into play, so that was obviously hurting me.”

Later, he added: “Sometimes you put a lot of pressure on yourself because I know I need to make the most of me in my prime because my days are numbered.

“Me and my wife, we’re great.

“We have a beautiful family, and we’re good. I want everyone to know that.

“I don’t want everyone thinking that it’s not like that.

“It’s just me trying to deal with being a high-performance athlete and me not being able to fulfil that side of things, especially the last three months.

“When I’m in camp, there’s a specific direction, and it’s easy when it comes to that, and I’m still very present at home. I’m probably even a better dad when I’m in camp.

“I’m ticking all the boxes, but it was harder to do that the last few weeks when everything was happening.

“I want everyone to know that it was just more of the timing, and that’s why you see me a little more vulnerable in the press conference after getting knocked out and having that sort of situation.”

He then added: “One thing that I do want to say, even though I’m fine, I’m sort of glad you guys got to see that raw emotion, and we do touch on the mental side of things when it comes to everyone, not just fighters and athletes, anyone in general.

“I think that it’s good for awareness. I think these are conversations people should be having.”