Fury beats Ngannou — reaction (2024)

• Controversial split decision sees Tyson Fury beat boxing novice Francis Ngannou
• Fury knocked down in round three but able to continue
• Fury maintains undefeated record but lucky to win contest on points
• WBC heavyweight champion now expected to take on Oleksandr Usyk
• Full Fury vs Ngannou fight card results

Tyson Fury was forced to get up off the canvas as he claimed an incredibly controversial split decision victory over former UFC champion Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia.

Ngannou, making his professional boxing debut, took Fury the distance and put his opponent on the canvas in round three after connecting with a left hook.

Fury, the WBC heavyweight champion of the world, was able to recover but ended the fight with a cut forehead, as well as a small mark underneath his left eye.

But while one judge scored it 95-94 in favour of the boxing novice Ngannou, two gave it to Fury at 96-93 and 95-94, preserving his undefeated record.

“That definitely wasn't in the script,” Fury said immediately afterwards. “Francis is a hell of a fighter, strong, a big puncher and a lot better boxer than we all thought he would ever be.”

Fury’s victory means he will next face the WBA, IBF and WBO champion Oleksandr Usyk, with both men attempting to become the first heavyweight since Lennox Lewis to hold the undisputed championship.

“My training camp was only three and a half months and I came into this with an injury,” he said.

“But I don’t want to give excuses. I will look at what I can do next to improve my game to come back even better.

“I’m getting ready to come here and take over.”

“That definitely wasn’t in the script,” Fury said afterwards. “He’s a hell of a figher and a hell of a lot better boxer than we thought he would be. He’s an awkward man and a good puncher and I respect him a lot.

“He was very awkward, he wasn’t coming forward and was waiting for me to throw. He’s given me one of my toughest fights of the last ten years.”

When asked about the knockdown he replies: “I was caught behind the head for the knockdown. I got back up and got back to my boxing.

“I don’t know how close it was. I got the win and that’s what it is.”

There has — somewhat predictably — been a very mixed reaction to Tyson Fury’s split decision victory. A lot of current and former professional boxers have argued Fury edged it. But just about every MMA fighter and analyst has said Francis Ngannou was robbed.

The British former IBO super-middleweight world champion Chris Eubank Jnr. is one of those to have broken ranks. He scored the fight in Ngannou’s favour.

“Watching from ringside I thought Ngannou won the fight. It was close but he was the aggressor, landed heavier shots & scored a knockdown,” he wrote on Twitter.

“Fury deserved to lose after having so much trouble against a man who has never boxed before… too much time filming Netflix specials not enough time in the gym I’m guessing. Unlucky Francis.”

Tyson Fury told Sky Sports earlier this week that he intended to fight Oleksandr Usyk on December 23. But, after his controversial split decision victory over Francis Ngannou, Fury’s promoter, Frank Warren, appeared to backtrack on that plan.

“I don't think the date will be announced yet,” he said. “The fight is done. Tyson has a cut there. There's no point setting a date yet. Everybody wants this fight and it will break all box office records.”

• Tyson Fury bts Francis Ngannou via split decision (heavyweight)
• Fabio Wardley bts David Adeleye R7 TKO (heavyweight)
• Joseph Parker bts Simon Kean via R3 KO (heavyweight)
• Arslanbek Makhmudov bts Junior Anthony Wright via R1 TKO (heavyweight)
• Moses Itauma bts Istvan Bernath via R1 TKO (heavyweight)
• Martin Bakole bts Carlos Takam via R4 TKO (heavyweight)
• Jack McGann bts Roberto Duran Jr via R2 TKO (super-welterweight)

And some thoughts from the comment section of our news story on Tyson Fury’s controversial victory, which you can read below.

Alexander O: “Whatever you think of who won (I think Francis tbh), nobody on earth would have predicted Ngannou would come in, hold the centre, have the spirit of Hagler on him with the switch stances, throwing combination shots, and actually showing control. Ngannou should stick to boxing now. He gives any of the top guy problems.”

Emmett C: “Ngannou was robbed.”

Gunner L: “There is no way boxing could allow Ngannou to win. His first ever fight beating the heavyweight champion? Boxing would dismantle overnight. It was never going to be anything but a Fury win. Francis, thank you! You have been the brightest spark in this murky underhanded business of boxing this year. Sadly the guy at the other end of the ring represents all that is wrong with the sport.”

I like this email, from P Beecher:

“With all the talk and hype, the heavyweight boxing champion of the world was knocked down and the fight went the distance. Does it matter what the score reads? Francis is the winner here.”

I couldn’t agree more. Share your thoughts by emailing livebloguk@theathletic.com.

Despite the sluggishness of his performance Fury and Usyk have signed a deal to meet for the undisputed world heavyweight title despite a number of false dawns with that long-awaited contest now set to be the next time we see both men.

A cut suffered by Fury early in the fight could yet jeopardise that but both fighters faced off tonight to confirm they do indeed want to meet next.

Usyk is a perfect 21-0 in his career while Fury, fresh from the win over Ngannou, boasts a 34-0-1 professional record.

The winner of the fight, should it go ahead as planned, will become the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999.

Conor McGregor has just given his thoughts to TNT Sports. And, like Tyson Fury himself, he’s claiming that Francis Ngannou’s knockdown came about because it landed on the back of Fury’s head! I don’t accept that at all. It was a really well-placed left hook.

“Lovely shot, it caught him on the back of the head but fair play to Tyson, he’s a strong man. Francis is so strong too, though, and Tyson just couldn’t hurt him,” McGregor said.

“Heavyweight boxing is exciting! Especially from ringside. There are some great fights in boxing’s heavyweight division, it’s on fire at the minute.

“Fair play to them both. It’s a crazy game and I’m off to the gym.”

I’m honestly full of admiration for Francis Ngannou for his post-match interview. I think he knew that, in all reality, his only realistic way of winning this fight was to knock Tyson Fury out, and to completely remove the possibility of the judges awarding the result to his rival.

“I might have come up short today, I might be wounded but I can bite, I'm just a fighter and I'm ready to fight any time soon,” he said.

“We can run it back soon and I'm sure I can do better. This was my first boxing match, I'm not making excuses but I can come back even stronger.”

I think there’s about as much chance of Fury giving Ngannou a rematch as there is of me becoming the heavyweight champion of the world. But I admire his outlook.

The post-fight stats from Compubox make for remarkable reading.

Fury, the WBC heavyweight champion of the world, landed 71 of the 223 punches he threw. Ngannou, a 0-0 novice, landed 59 of 231. But after the ten rounds, Ngannou had landed 5 more power punches than Fury, not to mention delivered the only knockdown blow of the fight.

Right I’ve been peppered with emails. Here are a couple, the first from Carlos D:

“I can’t believe that I followed what I just followed. That’s insane. Was Fury not prepared? I can’t wait to watch the video. Thank you for your live blogging it was fantastic.”

Those are the kind of emails we like, you are very welcome! And this from Maxx S:

“Hello, Tyson Fury didn't even train he could have dropped 20 lb easily. It's obvious it was fixed.

“Mike Tyson did good. Very disappointed, unfortunately this seems to be the trend lately. Same thing with Mayweather and McGregor: a hug fest. I really thought Tyson Fury was going to win but not like this. I think Francis sincerely won this fight.”

Maxx, I wouldn’t disagree with you. I’ve been looking forward to Fury vs Usyk for years but, wow, does it feel flat now.

Remember, you can get in touch by messaging livebloguk@theathletic.com.

Fury: “Let’s do the fight over here. For all the belts. The undisputed championship of the world. Let’s go my brother, let’s go.”

Usyk: “Let’s go.”

Usyk is asked whether he’s more confident after that fight. “I’m going to be fighting him amazingly.”

And will it be on December 23?

Fury: “It’s not up to me. Let’s go now if you want. These guys will sort it all out and it will be our next fight guaranteed.”

So not a yes.

"No rematch clause," Fury said. "I would like to do it again down the line but we got (Usyk) to deal with. That’s what next for us."

Francis Ngannou has just given an incredibly gracious post-fight interview. He’s a much better man than me. I would be setting the ring on fire at this very moment.

“My training camp was only three and a half months and I came into this with an injury. But I don’t want to give excuses. I will look at what I can do next to improve my game to come back even better.

“I’m getting ready to come here and take over.”

There’s barely a mark on him!

Tyson Fury speaks after that controversial split decision victory. “That definitely wasn’t in the script,” he says. “He’s a hell of a figher and a hell of a lot better boxer than we thought he would be. He’s an awkward man and a good puncher and I respect him a lot.

“He was very awkward, he wasn’t coming forward and was waiting for me to throw. He’s given me one of my toughest fights of the last ten years.”

When asked about the knockdown he replies: “I was caught behind the head for the knockdown. I got back up and got back to my boxing.

“I don’t know how close it was. I got the win and that’s what it is.”

The results are in.

95-94 Ngannou.

96-93 Fury.

95-94 Fury.

What a shame.