World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight champion Tyson Fury claimed a split decision victory over former UFC fighter Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia on Saturday night.
Ngannou, who was making his professional boxing debut, landed a left hook which dropped Fury on the canvas in round three.
But Fury, whose WBC heavyweight belt was not on the line, rallied back to overcome the 37-year-old Cameroonian.
One judge scored it 95-94 in favour of Ngannou, two gave it to Fury at 96-93 and 95-94.
Fury won the commemorative ‘Riyadh champion’ belt and extended his unbeaten record to 35 – winning 34 and drawing one.
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His victory means a blockbuster bout with fellow heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk, who holds the WBA, WBO and IBF titles, which has been signed, remains on the horizon.
Speaking after emerging victorious, Fury told TNT Sports: “That definitely wasn’t in the script, I got caught round the back of the head [for the knockdown]. I wasn’t hurt. I got up and got back to my boxing.
“He’s an awkward man and a good puncher and I respect him a lot. He’s given me one of my toughest fights of the last 10 years.”
On his part, Ngannou blamed his defeat on an injury he sustained going into the fight.
“My training camp was only three and a half months and I came into this with an injury.
“But I don’t want to give excuses. I will look at what I can do next to improve my game to come back even better.
“Now I know I can do this, get ready. The wolf is in the house.”
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COMMENTS
Nganu was rubbed, the judges didnt want to disgrace the gypsy king.
Francis is a beast.
Am telling you the guy was robbed!
I knew they wouldn’t allow Fury’s (world heavyweight champion) only loss to be to a non-boxer, but I thought they’d have given him a draw.
Thank you – you know what you’re talking about!
Ngannou would have and I dare say should have won that fight – But I am not delusional and I am savvy enough to know that to wrestle the title away from any world champion these days you would almost have to knock him out, take his head clean off(figuratively speaking), let alone the current world lineal champion and undisputed, undefeated freakish giant of a man aka Tyson (son of gypsy John) Fury, the all singing, all dancing gypsy king, then you would definitely have to wipe him out and make him leave on a stretcher to get that W – such is the popularity of the gypsy king these days even with his lies and scheming (sometimes) ways – I mean, I was one who used to think, hope and pray that our own Adefemi Anthony (AJ) Joshua might be able to beat him, but that very quickly changed to he might at least give him a tough fight and in the end the man with the biggest heart and desire would carry the day bu8t alas my friends, that is all just a pipe dream and our boy would stand no chance in the ring with T Fury, not because he has not got the physical tools but because he has not got the heart or actual fighting skills and temperament to do so – anyway, I digress, Ngannou won that fight marginally and for that being his first ever fight in boxing, to take on the lineal king and beat him, I have no doubt that Ngannou will be the world boxing champion soon – regardless of what happens between Fury and Usyk, which everyone knows that Fury will win that fight anyway so it seems that Ngannou will have to take the title from Fury and that will possibly be in their next fight.
Watch this space….SLM activated!
My brother i dont think, fury can beat usik, usik is very fast and mobile with a smart boxing tecknics, it will be very difficult for fury to win that guy, as for francis, i think if he want sucess in his future games, he needs to train alot more, expecially on his deffense, he takes punches so easily, those punches may not bring him down but they counts, he needs to be more mobile in his body movements, with an intensive training on defence and agressiveness he will world champion.
Bro, I agree that Ngannou needs to brush up his skills a lot more – yes, he needs to bob and weave a lot more like Mike Tyson obvious showed him in training and he also needs to go to the body more and just generally still needs to train and acquire more skills – that one is very standard and I believe he will – just remember that this is his first real boxing fight and he is a humble guy which makes a good learner, so he will get better no doubt – He obviously needs to have some more fights also before he is ready to challenge for the big one, so he will need to fight guys like AJ, Wilder, maybe even Usyk and a coupe of other guys in an ideal world so on that point we are saying the same thing –
But on Usyk vs Fury, that one I disagree with you – I can guarantee you that Fury will beat Usyk, especially after this Ngannou fight, he will sit up and get in shape even more he will prepare even better because Ngannou has given him a wake up call – regardless my friend, take it from me, Fury will beat Usyk – We wont have long to wait, that fight hopefully will be in 2 months but you never know, it may be 5 months now because Fury got worked and also sustained a cut against Ngannou – Either way, He will beat Usyk on points and that I can guarantee you.