Tyson Fury Vs Francis Ngannou
Regardless of whether Ngannou wins or loses Saturday, the Cameroonian conquering the sport of boxing is already a huge star. The man who left squalor, prison and time in a homeless shelter to achieve combat sports immortality has put the sport on notice.
Watch Fury vs Ngannou on ESPN+ in the US. The fight is also available on DAZN outside the US with a VPN.
Tyson Fury
Fury was expected to crush Francis Ngannou in his professional boxing debut but the WBC heavyweight champion was taken to a very different level by the Frenchman. Ngannou was a +800 underdog entering the bout and he looked every bit of that in the fight.
Ngannou landed his trademark left hand early in the third round and it caught Fury on the side of the head. It was a massive blow and Fury sank to the canvas. He got up but it was clear that he had been hurt.
The rounds were a back and forth affair with Ngannou landing more than his fair share of shots but Fury finding ways to work in between them. He used the jab to keep Ngannou at bay and he also worked on countering with a series of 1-2 combinations.
Fury found it hard to get inside the range of Ngannou’s long left hand but he did manage to land some counter shots in the second half of the round. He was also able to make use of the clinch but he was unable to bully his opponent like he normally does in this type of contest.
Ngannou was a handful and he looked very dangerous in the clinch, particularly as he switched between orthodox and southpaw. He was able to change up his approach in the clinch and he kept his punches from trending wildly as they sometimes do in mixed martial arts.
The fourth and final round was another close one but Ngannou’s counters were the main difference maker in this period. He threw the most punches of anyone in the fight and he was able to take advantage when Fury failed to connect with his left hand.
Fury had some difficulty with Ngannou’s power in the clinch but he did manage to get inside with a glancing right hand. Ngannou pushed Fury to the limit and it looked as though he had the chance to knock him out in the third round. Fury held on to win the fight with scores of 96-93, 95-94 and 94-95 but that didn’t stop Ngannou from looking like an absolute superstar. Fury’s planned December 23 heavyweight unification match with Oleksandr Usyk will now have to be rescheduled.
Francis Ngannou
Francis Ngannou, the Cameroonian MMA fighter who is widely considered one of the world’s best heavyweights, took on WBC champion Tyson Fury in this crossover fight. Ngannou, who has never fought in boxing before, dominated the fight and was declared the winner by two judges after a 10-round contest. Fury, meanwhile, is undefeated in his professional boxing career and had high hopes of a big payday from this bout.
The fight opened with Ngannou looking shaky as he tried to get a feel for his opponent. But he would grow into the fight as the rounds went on, putting together a solid one-two combination in the fourth round and connecting with some big left hooks. By the end of the fight, Ngannou had a look of confidence in his eye and seemed ready for a rematch.
In his opening speech, Fury acknowledged Ngannou’s accomplishments and praised his skills. “Francis Ngannou has been a great addition to our sport,” Fury said. “He’s the man who took down Klitschko in the last round and he’s a very good fighter. He has the right mind to be a champion.”
Ngannou had some of his own praise for Fury, calling him the “best heavyweight in the world” and thanking him for taking the fight against him. But Ngannou also said that Fury had a lot to learn from him.
The Cameroonian MMA star is a huge favourite against the Briton, but Fury has been in fine form of late and is ranked the world’s number one. He has a height and reach advantage over Ngannou, who is also the heavier of the pair.
The rest of the card features a slew of heavyweight clashes, including Fabio Wardley vs David Adeleye and Joseph Parker vs Simon Kean. Former WBO heavyweight champ Carlos Takam will also return to the ring in an eliminator against Martin Bakole. All of the fights will be streamed live on ESPN+ pay-per-view.
Venue
A battered Tyson Fury survived a third-round knockdown to earn a controversial split decision in his heavyweight debut against MMA veteran Francis Ngannou. The Briton fought back from behind in the 10 round non-title bout at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The fight was billed as part of the country’s “Riyadh Season.”
The match up between Fury and Ngannou, who made his professional boxing debut, is an intriguing one. The two are both undefeated heavyweights, but Fury has the MMA background that makes him a more dangerous fighter. Ngannou, on the other hand, is a former UFC heavyweight champion with a MMA record of 17 wins and no losses.
Ngannou took the fight to Fury in the early rounds, but the Briton responded with a series of power shots. Fury’s height and reach advantage made it difficult for Ngannou to get inside, but the Frenchman’s clinch game was enough to wear down the challenger and keep him on the back foot.
In the final third, Ngannou landed a punch that knocked Fury to the canvas and almost seemed to seal the win. The judges awarded Ngannou a close, controversial win, and Fury’s dejected post-fight interview suggested that the scorecard was a major disappointment for the British champion.
Fury’s nonchalance regarding the WBC’s sanctioning of the fight has been met with dissatisfaction by fans, who were hoping for a more competitive and longer match to justify the pay-per-view (PPV) price tag. Some are even asking, “How can this be a sanctioned title fight when Fury’s belt is not on the line?”
The so-called ‘Battle of the Baddest’ will mark a landmark moment in boxing history as undefeated lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury and MMA legend Francis Ngannou lock horns for the first time in a crossover fight that’s sure to shock the world. The 10-round showdown in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, is a non-title fight, but Fury claims there is more on the line than in any of his previous fights. GOAL’s live blog will bring you all the action as it unfolds.
Results
The result of Tyson Fury’s fight with Francis Ngannou was a surprise. The Cameroon native was expected to be trounced, but he held his own for 10 rounds and even scored a knockdown in the process. Ngannou’s performance was impressive considering that he was dealing with ring rust and a lack of preparation.
Nevertheless, Fury was the more skilled boxer and controlled much of the fight with his jab and 1-2 combinations. Ngannou’s power was also a factor, as his punches landed with loud thudding impacts that shocked the audience at the Riyadh Arena.
Ngannou landed some big shots in the early rounds, but he was dealing with an uncharacteristically sluggish Fury. Ngannou’s own movement was awkward and erratic at times, but he managed to get in close enough to land some big punches. The Cameroonian was a real handful for Fury and even managed to drop him in the third round.
Fury struggled to recover in the middle rounds after the early blows, and it was clear that he was not in top shape. He had good moments, but he was not the same fighter that we have come to know and love from his performances in the past.
In the final rounds, Fury started to find his rhythm again and he was able to regain control of the fight with some nice combination work. However, he was still too cautious at times and his movement was off at other times. Ngannou continued to be a serious threat in the final rounds, and he almost dropped Fury with a few huge blows.
Despite the defeat, Fury was a class act in his post-fight interview. He credited ring rust for his slow start and promised that he would improve in the future. He also gave a shout out to Ngannou for showing “no fear” in the face of adversity and for never quitting. Ngannou’s performance in the ring was a massive surprise, and he will be the talk of the town after this performance.
