At a professional boxing evening in Saudi Arabia, perhaps the most resonant fight of 2023 was expected. Mixed martial arts legend Francis Ngannou made his debut in the ring against Tyson Fury, the great heavyweight boxer. Everyone was confident in the crushing victory of the British “Gypsy”, but the Cameroonian Predator almost created a sensation.

Fury was even knocked down!

Dream of the ring

Francis Ngannou dreamed of becoming a boxer since childhood, inspired by Mike Tyson. But difficult life circumstances led to him starting to compete in mixed martial arts. Nevertheless, he did not forget about his dream. While still a UFC fighter, he demanded that the contract include the opportunity to enter the boxing ring.

“I’m not going to give up this opportunity.” It doesn’t matter if I stay in the UFC or leave. The new contract needs to include the boxing part. “I won’t retire until I fight in the ring,” Ngannou said in an interview with TMZ Sports.

Francis Ngannou / Photo: © Justin Setterfield / Staff / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru

However, Dana White did not agree to such conditions, although he significantly increased the fee for future victories in the Octagon. The head of the promotion claimed that Ngannou would receive the highest payout in UFC heavyweight history. But the negotiations ended in nothing, and in January 2023 Francis became a free agent.

A little later, a Cameroonian with a French passport signed an agreement with the Professional Fighters League. This paved the way for him to enter the ring.

Microscopic odds

In July 2023, it became known that Francis Ngannou would make his professional boxing debut against Tyson Fury. Their fight was scheduled for the end of October in Riyadh.

The Cameroonian’s chances of winning were assessed as microscopic. Yes, he has a great punch, which was demonstrated several times in the octagon. But it might not be enough for classical boxing. This was noticed by Fury, who before the fight gracefully pinned his opponent.

– Our fight will be similar to the Wimbledon final. “In it, Novak Djokovic will play with the table tennis champion,” journalist Michael Benson quoted Fury as saying, publishing them on the X social network.

Tyson Fury / Photo: © Justin Setterfield / Staff / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru

However, Ngannou treated his opponent more respectfully. But he didn’t curry favor with him too much. If you fight, then fight until victory.

“You’d have to be crazy to rely only on knockout power in a fight with Tyson Fury. I’m surprised how many people have already written me off. But this excites me. “I will fight like a boxer and expect to win by decision,” TMZ Sports quotes Ngannou as saying.

Dancing after a knockdown

The start of the fight was left to Fury. The Briton looked fresher and faster than his opponent and hit quite well. To Ngannou’s credit, he stood firm and even tried to snap back. But Tyson’s experience and power were decisive.

This went on for two rounds, and in the third a sensation almost broke out. Fury got too carried away with the attack and missed a left hook to the head, after which he fell. The audience gasped in surprise, but Tyson quickly stood up. At the same time, there was bewilderment in his eyes – how could this even happen?

Francis Ngannou and Tyson Fury / Photo: © Justin Setterfield / Staff / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru

Ngannou’s behavior is also worth noting here. Having knocked down his opponent, he began to… dance in front of him. After the fight, the Predator explained why he did this.

“At the beginning of the fight, he told me: “Let’s go to school.” After the knockdown, I called him a bad teacher,” Ngannou said on ESPN MMA.

Then the fight calmed down. Ngannou did not have enough strength to build on his success, and Fury clearly did not plan to fight all ten rounds. By the end of the fight, both were tired, and the audience had to watch a passive fuss. The final bell found the boxers in the center of the ring – after which Tyson hugged Francis in a friendly manner and even patted him on the head.

The judges made a split decision. One preferred Ngannou (95:94), two preferred Fury (96:94 and 96:93). Thus, the Briton was declared the winner and received a special WBC belt for the “Champion of Riyadh”.

Tyson Fury / Photo: © Justin Setterfield / Staff / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru

Humiliation from a debutant

The result of the fight shocked many. Fury, despite his enormous experience and titles, had difficulty coping with a debutant, albeit a famous one. Ngannou’s skeptics were put to shame: the Cameroonian showed a good level of boxing and had a chance to finish the fight early.

While Francis received compliments, Tyson received a lot of punishment from representatives of the boxing world. Famous sports promoter Eddie Hearn admitted that he was speechless, horrified by the level of the Briton.

– Forget about Fury vs. Usik – no one is interested in that. Give us Fury vs Anthony Joshua. “AJ will take him out in six rounds,” Hearn told journalist Michael Benson.

Another promoter, Ali Abdel-Aziz, called the result of the fight a robbery for Ngannou. This opinion is shared by many amateurs and specialists. Fury hit a lot, but did virtually no damage to his opponent. Ngannou acted sharper, his punches looked more powerful, and the knockdown should have swayed the judges in his favor. But in the end, the referee raised Fury’s hand, and this victory can only be called a fake.

UFC legend Conor McGregor admired the strength of the Cameroonian heavyweight. Francis himself urged Tyson to remember that the victory was won only thanks to the judges.

Fury has a fight ahead of him with Ukrainian boxer Alexander Usik. The date of their meeting is December 23, the place is Saudi Arabia. Usyk has already announced that he is preparing for the fight. But will this fight take place after Tyson is humiliated by the debutant?