Former UFC champion, Francis Ngannou, has made a resounding claim that he emerged victorious in his boxing match against Tyson Fury, despite a split decision favoring the British boxer.
The match took place on a controversial Saturday night in Saudi Arabia, where Ngannou managed to knock down the WBC heavyweight title holder, Tyson Fury, in the third round. However, the judges’ final decision favored Fury, leading to a contentious split-decision victory.
In a post-match interview with IU, the Cameroonian star expressed his belief that he deserved to win the fight. He stated, “If he [Fury] is being honest, he would say I won that fight. I won that fight, there’s no question about it.”
Ngannou also acknowledged the challenges he faced as a newcomer in the boxing world, saying, “But before getting here, I knew that if the fight came down to a decision, I wouldn’t win, not because I didn’t perform well, but because I’m a new face in the sport.”
Despite being knocked down in the third round, Tyson Fury managed to secure a split-decision victory with judges’ scores of 96-93 and 95-94 in his favor, while one judge scored it 95-94 for Ngannou.
Tyson Fury, the WBC champion and widely recognized as a top heavyweight boxer, maintained his unbeaten record, while Ngannou, in his professional boxing debut, gave Fury a remarkably tough challenge.
Fury’s title was not on the line due to Ngannou’s limited professional boxing experience. Nevertheless, Ngannou’s impressive performance included moments of control and a tremendous left hook that sent Fury to the canvas.
After the fight, Tyson Fury acknowledged the unexpected challenge, stating, “That definitely wasn’t in the script.” He praised Ngannou’s skills, describing him as a strong puncher and a better boxer than initially expected.
Ngannou, although he could have expressed frustration with the judges’ decision, remained composed and said, “It didn’t go my way. I might have come up short today, but I’ll come back.”
Notably, former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson voiced his opinion on the fight, declaring Francis Ngannou as the true champion. The 57-year-old Mike Tyson commended Ngannou’s performance in the match and expressed his pride, stating, “The real champion is Francis Ngannou! I’m proud of the way you performed.”