Fury survives knockdown in controversial points win over Ngannou

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.
And what did Francis Ngannou say after his impressive performance?
“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.”

• Ngannou: ‘I’m not making excuses, I can do better’
• 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.

Author: Linda .R. Jones

London, UK

lindarj83@gmail.com