Francis Ngannou, a former UFC heavyweight, made an impressive boxing debut against reigning WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.
The match appeared to be a total mismatch between the unbeaten WBC champion and a mixed martial artist who was boxing professionally for the first time.
However, Ngannou exceeded expectations by going the distance, even knocking down Fury at one point with a left hook in the third round.
Although Fury got up off the canvas, he struggled to secure a split decision win with two judges giving him the fight by scores of 96-93 and 95-94, while the other judge favored Ngannou 95-94.
Despite the loss, Ngannou’s performance was remarkable, and reports suggest that he could be in line for a top 10 ranking with the WBC.
Mauricio Sulaiman, the president of WBC, confirmed that Ngannou deserved to be ranked and that he would recommend it to the ratings committee.
If ranked, Ngannou would be placed above the likes of Filip Hrgovic and Daniel Dubois.
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Current top 10 World Boxing Council (WBC) rankings
1. Deontay Wilder
2. Anthony Joshua
3. Arslanbek Makhmudov
4. Frank Sanchez
5. Andy Ruiz
6. Jared Anderson
7. Efe Ajagba
8. Dillian Whyte
9. Martin Bakole
10. Joseph Parker
However, Ngannou had not fought in any capacity since January 2022 and had undergone reconstructive knee surgery at that time.
He made a pointed statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying, “Table Tennis champion of the world.”
Despite his success in boxing, the 37-year-old is expected to return to MMA next year.
While Usyk’s promoter, Alex Krassyuk, has insisted that Fury “cannot escape” an undisputed world title fight on December 23, Fury’s underwhelming performance against Ngannou may cause some concern.
Fury was hoping for a tune-up fight before the big showdown, but Ngannou gave him a run for his money.
Fury’s arrogance, lack of discipline, and thirst for money may have led to the unexpected circumstances.
Nonetheless, the stage is set for a highly anticipated fight on December 23, and it remains to be seen how Fury will fare against Usyk.
