Tyson Fury admitted that Francis Ngannou’s skills in the boxing ring caught him by surprise in Saturday night’s narrow split decision victory. Fury prevailed over the ex-UFC star despite being knocked down in the third round.
While Ngannou entered the fight with a reputation for packing a powerful punch, Fury didn’t expect his opponent to be able to hang with him so closely in a contest where mixed martial arts actions were not allowed. He also confirmed there was no rematch clause for the fighters.
“That definitely wasn’t in the script,” Fury said afterward. “He’s a lot better of a boxer than we thought he’d be. He’s a very awkward man, and he’s a good puncher, and I respect him a lot. He was very awkward, he wasn’t coming forward; he was waiting for me to throw my punches then looking to counter.
“It’s a part of boxing [the knockdown], I got caught behind the head again. I got up and it was alright; 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. I’ve been out the ring a long time again. You can see it in here โ ring rust, everything. No excuses, though. He’s cut me across the eye there. It was a good, rough fight. Perfect.”
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Fury’s next step is unclear following the tougher-than-expected fight, as he seemed non-committal about his title-unifying bout against Oleksandr Usyk taking place before the end of the year.
Usyk, though, was on hand in Saudi Arabia and said: “We’re back in this ring, 23 December, thank you very much, I go to sleep.”
Ngannou’s plans are also uncertain. He narrowly missed his opportunity to send shockwaves through the boxing world with a win over such a decorated fighter. Some fans on social media claimed judges should have awarded him the decision, though he opted to take the high road in that regard.
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“I am feeling great, fantastic,” Ngannou said. “It didn’t go my way, I might be beaten today, I might be wounded, but I can bite. We can run it back again, and I’m sure I’m gonna get better. This was my first boxing match, great experience. I’m not gonna give any excuse, I know I came up short, but I’m gonna come back with a little more experience of the game.
“At first I was a little nervous, now I know I can do this s***. The wolf is in the house. Tonight was to feel the water, and now I know the temperature.
“I came out from a long recovery and surgery, three months and a half. I worked hard and gave my best. I know myself. We’ll gather with my team and what we can do next to improve my game.”
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