WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION Tyson Fury beat mixed martial arts fighter Francis Ngannou in a controversial split decision after their boxing bout went the distance in Saudi Arabia on Sunday.
Making his professional boxing debut, Ngannou knocked Fury down in round three but the 35-year-old British fighter, though shaken, was able to continue.
One judge scored the 10-round non-title fight 95-94 in Ngannou’s favour but two others gave it to Fury: 96-93, 95-94.
The undefeated Fury earlier this week laughed off his opponent as a “big fat sausage” but afterwards acknowledged that the 37-year-old Cameroonian had effectively kept him off-balance.
TYSON FURY HAS DEFEATED FRANCIS NGANNOU BY SPLIT DECISION!!! 🤯 😱
— Boxing on TNT Sports (@boxingontnt) October 28, 2023
95-94 Francis Ngannou
96-93 Tyson Fury
95-94 Tyson Fury#BattleOfTheBaddest | #FuryNgannou pic.twitter.com/FKJTFJuAZn
“He’s a very awkward man, and he’s a good puncher and I respect him a lot,” Fury said of Ngannou, adding that it was “probably one of the toughest” fights he has had in a decade.
Fury was the overwhelming favourite against boxing novice Ngannou.
“This was my first boxing match, great experience –- I’m not giving any excuse,” Ngannou said in a ringside interview.
“I know I come up short, I’m going to come back and work harder… now I know I can do this.”
Fury’s WBC heavyweight belt was not on the line in the “Battle of the Baddest” in the Saudi capital Riyadh, but the WBC did create a “Riyadh Champion” belt to allow the winner to strut around the ring at the end with something other than their pay cheque.
Fury has been linked with a €57 million (£50m) payout from the exhibition bout, while he has said in the British press that Ngannou will earn €11.5m (£10m).
