- Tyson Fury survived to defeat former UFC star Francis Ngannou by split decision.
- Fury has opened as a heavy favorite to beat Ngannou in a rematch.
- The “Gypsy King” is expected to defend his WBC title against Oleksandr Usyk in December or early next year.
Francis Ngannou (0-1-0) gave everything that he had, but it wasn’t enough against the undefeated world champion Tyson Fury (34-0-1).
In Ngannou’s highly anticipated boxing debut, “The Predator” exceeded most boxing pundit’s expectations against Fury. However, BetOnline oddsmakers are not giving him much respect in a rematch. At -400, Fury is heavily favored to defeat Ngannou in the sequel.
On Saturday, Fury narrowly defeated the former UFC star on the scorecards by split decision, 94-95, 96-93, 95-94. While judges Alan Krebs and Juan Carlos Pelayo scored the fight in favor of Fury, Ed Garner gave the nod to Ngannou, 95-54.
The split decision victory for Fury didn’t come without controversy. There was an uproar on social media, as many boxing fans believed that the split decision in favor of Fury was incorrect. Ngannou had Fury on the ropes in the early stages of the fight, with the boxing rookie scoring a knockdown in the third round.
Going into the fight in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Fury was a -1600 favorite to defeat Ngannou. This was up from -800 in July. The -1600 odds represented an implied probability to win the fight of 94.1 percent. However, the fight, which attracted stars such as Eminem and Mike Tyson to Riyadh, was much closer than the odds suggested.
Fury Out-Jabs Ngannou To Victory
After getting knocked down in the third down, Fury was able to settle in and set the pace for the rest of the bout. Fury’s early struggles included a cut above his eye in the second round. That being said, he rebounded nicely to avoid falling into any more traps laid down by Ngannou.
According to the CompuBox punch stats, Ngannou landed more power punches. He connected for 37 power punches as opposed to 32 for Fury. Nonetheless, Fury managed to jab his way to a win at Boulevard Hall.
Fury landed 39 jabs compared to Ngannou’s 22 jabs. In total, the “Gypsy King” finished with 71 total punches. Ngannou put up a big fight, with 59 punches that landed against Fury. Despite not winning the fight, the former UFC champion earned the respect of boxing fans and boxers alike.
Judge Garner, who had Ngannou winning the bout, evidently gave more weight to the power punches. To most observers, Ngannou’s power should have been enough to earn the shocking win. Upon Fury’s split decision win announcement, boos echoed through the Boulevard Hall.
The beaten and battered Fury gave Ngannou a ringing endorsement after the bout.
“He’s a very awkward man, and he’s a good puncher, and I respect him a lot, before the fight and afterward. He was very awkward, he wasn’t coming forward, he was just standing back waiting for me to land punches and then counter. He’s a good fighter. He’s given me probably one of my toughest fights in the last 10 years.”
In January, Ngannou relinquished his UFC heavyweight title after the UFC released him. The 37-year-old Cameroonian fighter doesn’t intend on going back to MMA in the foreseeable future.
According to BetOnline, Deontay Wilder is expected to be his next opponent. At +200 odds, Wilder is favored to challenge Ngannou next, and then Fury at +300. Fury is expected to be busy with another boxer before a rematch against Ngannou.
Heavyweight Title Bout Against Usyk Up Next For Fury
All indications are that Fury will finally step into the ring against Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk (21-0-0). Boxing fans were looking forward to Fury and Usyk for the heavyweight titles before Fury accepted the fight against Ngannou.
Usyk holds the WBA, IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight titles. Conversely, Fury has the WBC world heavyweight title in his possession. At the moment, December 23 is the target date for Fury vs. Usyk.
Usyk’s promoter Alex Krassyuk shared these comments after Fury’s win over Ngannou:
“Everyone, including Usyk, did not give much change to Ngannou. But the man has shocked the world. Fury underestimated his opponent. Arrogance, lack of discipline, and thirst for money lead to these kinds of circumstances. But we have December 23 inked, and Fury cannot escape that.”
However, a cut on Fury’s head could push the fight into 2024. Fury’s team claims that the fight is on, but a date for the bout will hinge on how he heals up. Currently, Fury is a -160 favorite to beat Usyk at BetOnline.
