Tyson Fury prevailed in a controversial split decision win over Francis Ngannou in their 10-round boxing match at Boulevard Hall in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday night, but he took some punishment in the victory.
Two judges had the fight scored barely in favor of Fury (95-94 and 96-93), while another judge had it 95-94 for Ngannou.
Ngannou, a former UFC heavyweight champion, was making his professional boxing debut and looked more than capable of fighting at a high level. He dropped Fury with a left hand in the final minute of the third round.
NGANNOU JUST DROPPED TYSON FURY
— 🌴ᴛʜᴇᴀʀᴛᴏꜰᴡᴀʀ🌴 (@TheArtOfWar6) October 28, 2023
The knockdown led to some absolutely incredible images that went viral. Take a look:
The title of the Baddest Man on the Planet doesn’t belong to boxing.
It belongs to MMA.
Look at this moment right here.
Imagine there was no 10 count to protect Tyson Fury from the pounce. pic.twitter.com/iWDx5vsTtr
— MMA History Today (@MMAHistoryToday) October 29, 2023
Animated photo of Tyson Fury being dropped by Francis Ngannou
by @kammakaze pic.twitter.com/IpZUgb5ddb
— Bloody Elbow (@BloodyElbow) October 28, 2023
Though Ngannou took home the lost, he won in the eyes of many fans. He certainly performed well enough in his first boxing match to convince fans that he can be a legitimate boxer.
With the win, Fury remains undefeated at 34-0-1. Ngannou is 17-3 as an MMA fighter but now 0-1 as a boxer.
