World heavyweight champion Tyson Fury came out on top in Saudi Arabia, defeating MMA fighter Francis Ngannou in a controversial split decision result. Their boxing bout nicknamed as the ‘Battle of the Baddest’ went the distance in Riyadh as Ngannou knocked Fury down in the third round. But the British boxer, though shaken, was able to continue.
Fury ended up winning after two judges gave him 96-93 and 95-94. Meanwhile, the other judge gave Ngannou 95-94. Fury remains undefeated at 34-0-1 with 24 knockouts. Meanwhile, this was Ngannou’s boxing debut and his UFC record stands at 17-3. Although it was an official fight, Fury’s championship belt wasn’t on the line.
The bout was heated right from the start as Fury relied on his jab early and then switched to left-handed in the second round when Ngannou opened a cut above his left eye. Then with 43 seconds remaining in the third round, Ngannou sent Fury on the floor with a left hook.
Then in the fourth round, Ngannou once again began to dominate, but Fury managed to stay on his feet. Then in the fifth round, Fury gained control, and carried it over to the sixth. In the seventh round, once again Ngannou staged a comeback and delivered three powerful lefts early in the eighth and then also hammered Fury with two strong combinations. The fight went till the 10th round, with Fury eventually claiming the win.
The match had a huge crowd, and was also graced by the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Conor McGregor, Vince McMahon, The Undertaker. Here is the video of Ronaldo and McGregor entering the venue in Riyadh:
Here is the video of McMahon and The Undertaker:
Speaking after the bout, Fury called it his ‘toughest fight in 10 years’. Praising his opponent, he said, “He’s a very awkward man, and he’s a good puncher and I respect him a lot. Probably my toughest fight in 10 years”.
“I don’t know how close it was, but I got the win and that’s how it was. Fair play to Francis, he cut my head here. It was a good fight,” he further added.
Meanwhile, Ngannou said, “This was my first boxing match, great experience — I’m not giving any excuse. I know I come up short, I’m going to come back and work harder… now I know I can do this.”
