Francis Ngannou Loses To Tyson Fury Via Split Decision Following A Knockdown

Francis Ngannou and Tyson Fury

On Sunday, October 30, Tyson Fury, the WBC heavyweight world champion, defeated Francis Ngannou, a former UFC fighter, via split decision in a non-title bout held in Saudi Arabia. Many believed Ngannou earned the victory, nearly causing one of the biggest upsets in boxing history.

Fury, the undefeated owner of one of the most coveted titles in the sport, almost escaped his first loss against a 37-year-old opponent who had never faced professional boxing before but persevered through all ten rounds.

Despite being able to finish the round, the 35-year-old self-styled "Gypsy King" was certain of his opponent's strength when Ngannou's left hook knocked the Briton on the mat in the third round.

Former UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou was given a score of 95-94 by one judge, but Fury's scores of 96-93 and 95-94 overturned that decision. There was no stake for Fury's WBC heavyweight belt in the ten-round bout. In this battle, Ngannou was fighting for the first time since January 2022 as a professional boxer.

Fury, an Englishman, was set as a 14-1 favorite to win and go to a heavyweight championship bout against Oleksandr Usyk. Fury will finally do so, but following what sports experts called his "worst performance of his career."

Throughout the fight, Fury appeared perplexed, not knowing how to take advantage of Ngannou's unexpected timing. In the third round, he gave Fury a left hook to the temple, resulting in the seventh career knockdown for Fury. But Fury prevailed over the count, as he had six times previously, including four times in his heavyweight title trilogy with Deontay Wilder.

However, many boxing experts have claimed that Fury was given an unfair advantage in the fight.

Although there was no rematch clause, Fury stated that he would like to face Ngannou once again "down the line" following an uncontested championship matchup with Oleksandr Usyk, the IBF, IBO, WBO, and WBA champion from Ukraine.

The two are scheduled to meet in Riyadh on December 23, but that date has not yet been formally announced by either of the champions.