WBC world champion Tyson Fury was shocked in the manner of how tough it was overcame MMA veteran Francis Ngannou to win a ten round split decision at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The scores were 96-93 and 95-94, which overruled one score of 95-94 for Ngannou.
In a shocker, Fury was dropped in the third round of the fight from a counter left hand. He stayed away from Ngannou until the bell rang to end the round in question.
Coming off an almost 11-month layoff, Fury appeared to have a lot of trouble with Ngannou's style and his power. He suffered a cut on his forehead from an Ngannou uppercut.
During the eight, Fury seemed to be winded and found himself in trouble as Ngannou was putting together combinations on the inside.
Fury found most of his success when he stayed on the move and pumped his jab.
"That definitely wasn’t in the script. He’s one hell of a fighter. He’s strong, a big puncher, and a lot better as a boxer than we thought he would ever be. He’s a very awkward man, and he’s a good puncher. I respect him a lot, before the fight and afterward," Fury said.
“He was very awkward. He wasn’t coming forward. He was standing back and waiting for me to land my punches and then try to counter. He’s a good fighter. He’s given me one of my toughest fights in the last 10 years.
“[The knockdown is] part of boxing. I got caught behind the head again. My legs weren’t hurt or nothing. I was alright. And I got back up and it was what it was. And I got back to my boxing. I don’t know how close it was. But I got the win, and that’s what it is.”
