Tyson Fury dropped, escapes with split decision vs. Francis Ngannou

WBC world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury escaped with a split decision after ten hard-fought rounds against ex-UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou on Sunday (PH time) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Fury, an overwhelming favorite against the debuting Ngannou, met unexpected resistance from the mixed martial arts fighter. In round three, Ngannou landed a left hook that sent his foe crashing to the canvas.

Fury managed to beat the count, moved, and boxed his way until the final bell but not without Ngannou having moments of his own. In the end, two of three judges saw the fight for Fury, improving his record to 34-0-1 with 24 knockouts. The scorecards were 96-93, 95-95, and 94-95.

.@Tyson_Fury's immediate thoughts after the win.#FuryNgannou | #BattleOfTheBaddest pic.twitter.com/jkNCvnEGRb

— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) October 28, 2023

“He was very awkward. He is a good fighter, he has given me probably one of my toughest fights in the last ten years,” Fury said after the fight.

—JKC, GMA Integrated News