In a stunning showdown, WBC heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury narrowly clinched a split decision victory over former UFC fighter Francis Ngannou in a non-title bout held in Saudi Arabia. Ngannou, a 37-year-old with no prior professional boxing experience, came remarkably close to orchestrating one of boxing's greatest upsets. Despite being knocked down by Ngannou's left hook in the third round, Fury, known as the "Gypsy King," managed to weather the storm.
However, Ngannou missed a crucial opportunity for a major upset, landing only six of 38 punches in the final two rounds, according to CompuBox, in contrast to Fury's 14 of 37. While Fury secured more punches overall (71-59), Ngannou made his mark with more powerful shots (37-32). Fury's undefeated record now stands at 34-0-1 with 24 knockouts, but he acknowledged the close call.
"This certainly wasn't what we expected," remarked Fury, reflecting on the judges' scores of 96-93 and 95-94 in his favor, with the third judge scoring it 95-94 in favor of his opponent from Cameroon and France.
"He's a hell of a fighter and a much better boxer than we thought he would be. 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."
While there's no rematch clause, Fury expressed interest in facing Ngannou again in the future, following an undisputed title bout with Ukraine's IBF, IBO, WBO, and WBA champion Oleksandr Usyk. The rematch is slated to take place in Riyadh on December 23, a date pending official confirmation from both champions.
Despite the loss, Ngannou exuded positivity, stating, "I feel fantastic. I'm very happy. It didn't go my way, but I want to thank the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the opportunity to prove people wrong one more time."
The electrifying contest took place in the 26,000-seat Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, with preliminary bouts held in a specially constructed outdoor venue for the event. This marked Ngannou's inaugural foray into professional boxing, and he hadn't competed since his victory over Ciryl Gane in UFC 270 in January 2022.
Ngannou, 37, had a falling out with the UFC earlier in the year, leading to his belt being stripped by UFC President Dana White in January. Subsequently, in May, Ngannou inked a deal with the rival Professional Fighters League. His inaugural bout for the PFL is anticipated to occur early next year.
"I know I've come up short, but I'm going to go back and work harder with a little more experience this time, a little more feeling of the game and come back stronger," vowed Ngannou.
