Tyson Fury emerged victorious over Francis Ngannou by split decision after a heated 10-round non-title fight in Saudi Arabia.
Fury won 96-93 and 95-94 on two judges’ cards despite being knocked down in the third round. Ngannou received a 95-94 vote from the other judge.
In this crossover match, Ngannou, the former heavyweight champion of the UFC, faced off against Fury.
In addition to being the WBC champion, Fury is recognized as the best heavyweight in the business. In contrast, Ngannou was boxing as a professional for the first time in this scheduled 10-round match; he is undefeated in his career.
In Ngannou, Fury’s opponent lacked professional boxing expertise, so his title could not be at stake, but the mixed martial arts champion gave it a fierce push.
Ngannou stunned Fury with a huge left hook in the third round, knocking out Tyson like an elephant would stump an ant, and even though Ngannou controlled most of the next rounds, Fury won by a razor-thin and contentious split decision.
Talking after the match, Tyson said, “He’s given me probably one of my toughest fights in the last 10 years. Francis is a hell of a fighter, a strong, big puncher, and a lot better boxer than we all thought he would be. He’s a very awkward man, and he’s a good puncher, for which I respect him a lot.”