Former UFC champion, Francis Ngannou, has voiced his frustration following a narrow ten-round split decision loss to WBC heavyweight king, Tyson Fury. The bout, held in Saudi Arabia, saw two judges siding with Fury with scores of 95-94 and 96-93. In contrast, a third judge had it 95-94 in favor of Ngannou.
Despite being a newcomer in professional boxing, Ngannou firmly believes he was unjustly deprived of a victory and feels that the two judges who scored in favor of Fury should face sanctions. “I think it’s a shame for boxing,” Ngannou commented. He emphasized his concerns about such decisions affecting the careers of many fighters, saying, “I don’t care that much about that decision, but I think those kinds of decisions mess up a lot of people’s careers.”
In a shocking moment during the fight, Ngannou floored Fury in the third round. The bout saw both fighters giving their best, with Fury ending up with notable damage to his left eye and a cut on his forehead from an uppercut by Ngannou.
Entering the ring as a significant underdog, many anticipated a quick win for Fury. Ngannou, reflecting on his performance, stated, “This is really my first time to fight and to do a 10-round boxing bout, straight boxing. I think this just gets me even more excited and hungry to prove. I was wounded, but I realize I can bite.”
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