Freelancer Francis Ngannou knocked Fury down but lost on points.
Tyson Fury didn’t get off easy. PDO
Tyson Fury had to fight the former UFC heavyweight champion in a giant boxing match Francis Ngannouta against.
Fury had to wrestle with the free fighter for ten full rounds, and in the end the victory came only by unanimous decision.
One of the three judges felt that Ngannou won the match with a score of 95-94. The other two gave the victory to Fury with scores of 96–93 and 95–94.
Fury’s title belts were not at stake in the match, but otherwise the fight was fought with real enthusiasm.
It was the first boxing match of the 37-year-old Ngannou’s career. He wanted to try a new sport after receiving his starting passes from the UFC in January.
The match started with Fury’s fine control, but in the third round, it came crashing down. Ngannou hit the charging Briton with a left hand hook to the head, and the champion fell to the canvas.
The crowd erupted into boos as the referee counted, but Fury was fine.
Also in the fourth round, Fury was bumped against the ropes as the two thrashed each other at close range.
Ngannou withstood his opponent’s hard punches with seeming ease, but seemed to freeze up a bit after the halfway point of the match.
In the eighth inning, the crowd got excited again. Ngannou hammered Fury with several powerful strikes and took the round.
A big spectacle
The match was organized in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where the audience was treated to a Super Bowl-level opening show. The start of the match was delayed by almost an hour due to the spectacle.
The match was presented to the audience as a meeting of kings. Both “Gypsy King” Fury and Ngannou sat on a throne with a crown on their head during the match introductions.
Among the audience were several megastars such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Conor McGregor. Ronaldo was booed violently in the arena when he appeared on the light board before the match.
After the Fury fight, Ngannou will be working in the PFL promotion, which is UFC’s biggest competitor. The Cameroonian signed a contract with the PFL in May, which gives him the opportunity to influence the activities of the entire organization outside the ring as well.
Fury, on the other hand, is already eyeing a massive title fight against Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk. The match would crown the undisputed ruler of the heavyweight division for the first time since 1999.
After the Ngannou fight, Fury and Usyk already agreed to face each other in the ring. The date of the match is still open.
Francis Ngannou surprised everyone with his abilities. ZumaWire / MVPHOTOS