The day before, the hyped fight of the undefeated Tyson died down in Riyadh Fury and former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. It was a cool evening with a great show, a lot of celebrity guests at ringside (the names of Cristiano Ronaldo, Conor McGregor and Eminem speak volumes) and an unexpectedly competitive fight. In it, the Frenchman made the experts blush. For ten rounds, the total underdog kept Fury in suspense and did not allow the Briton to pick up the key. The Predator went further and almost created a sensation after knocking down Fury in the third round and dominating the eighth.
What could ruin a high-profile event? Final decision of the judges. 96-93, 95-94 and 94-95 in favor of Fury — this is how one had to try to evaluate the debut fight of the UFC star.
After being saved by the judges, the Briton admitted that Ngannou gave him one of the most difficult fights in recent years:
“Francis is a very inconvenient opponent. He's a hard puncher and a better boxer than many expected. He gave me one of the toughest fights in the last ten years. Knockdown? Nothing special: I was caught on the back of the head again, but I got up. I haven’t been in the ring for a long time, 11 months, but no excuses — today Ngannou was very good.”
Ngannou, drowning in compliments, did not praise his opponent. The Predator wrote on social networks that the Briton should thank the judges for his triumph:
““Tyson should thank two judges for the fact that I didn’t win this fight.”
The main comment after the fight was made by the Briton’s promoter Frank Warren, who told the YouTube channel Boxing King Media about the postponement of the date of the fight for the title of absolute world champion against the Ukrainian Alexander Usik:
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“Tyson will not be ready to enter the ring in December. He had a very tough fight. He needs to restore his body and undergo treatment. When he returns to training, there will be 5-6 weeks left before the fight against Usik, and this is very little.”
Usik himself, who holds titles according to the World Boxing Association (WBA), International Boxing Federation (IBF) , the World Boxing Organization (WBO) and the International Boxing Organization (IBO), pointed out a possible underestimation of the opponent on the part of the Gypsy King:
«I think it was a show. I don't know if it gave me confidence. But look, this is an MMA world champion with a strong punch. Perhaps there was an element of surprise. Or Tyson was not serious, thinking that this was just an MMA fighter . Knockdown in the third round? Of course, it came as a surprise to me. When I saw the knockdown, I said: “Francis, be more careful. Tyson, come on, jab-jab.» And I said it!» (Fight Hub TV)
The reactions of the guests of the evening were also rich. Boxing legend Mike Tyson perfectly prepared Ngannou for the meeting with Fury and after the fight he did not hide his pride in the native of Cameroon:
““The real champion of the evening is Francis Ngannou! So proud of how you performed.”
But McGregor, who also fought boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2017, admitted that he enjoyed the events in Riyadh:
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"Wild fight. Tyson didn't hurt him when he hit! Ngannou landed a beautiful shot that caught Fury in the back of the head. Tyson is a tough guy, he has a strong chin. And, my God, how strong Ngannou is! Heavyweight boxing is exciting, especially around the ring.» (TNT Sports Boxing)
Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, who came to support his friend, praised Ngannou:
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“Against all odds, I went out and had a close boxing match with the greatest heavyweight. My brother, you shocked the world! «
Social networks after the fight for the title of «The most dangerous man on the planet» still do not subside.
- Manny Pacquiao, who became the world boxing champion in six weight categories:
“What a fight we just saw!”< br>
- Daniel Cormier, UFC Hall of Famer:
«76-75 Fury after the eighth round, but Francis won the last two.»
- Alex Pereira, former UFC champion:
«» Proud on behalf of all MMA fighters! Great job, Francis Ngannou!»
- Aljamain Sterling, ex-UFC champion:
«It was impressive. You could make a case that Francis won. Conor paved the way and Francis opened the door wide. Here's proof that with the right training, MMA guys can compete head-to-head with the best boxers.»
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"Tyson Fury lost, and boxing commentators are biased idiots. They need to learn how to box.”
- Demetrious Johnson, former UFC champion:
«Francis won that fight.»
- Max Holloway, ex-UFC belt holder:
«He almost did it! Never doubt this guy again . Francis Ngannou, what a beast!»
- Ben Askren, former Bellator champion:
“It looks like boxing has equally bad judges.”
- Darren Till, ex-UFC title contender:
“»96-93 in favor of Tyson? That judge must have been (UFC CEO) Dana White or Fury's father.»
Poll what is your opinion opinion on the judge's verdict?
This is really a robbery67.3%Fury still took the fight with a slight advantage32.7%VoteVoted: 49 October 29, 15:45