Francis Ngannou was expected to put up a fight. In his professional boxing debut just five months earlier, Ngannou sent Tyson Fury — an established fighter — to the canvas in the third round.
Ngannou, a former UFC mixed martial arts (MMA) heavyweight champion, more than held his own over 10 rounds. It was only a controversial split decision in Fury’s favour that ruined a memorable night for Ngannou.
The impressive performance earned Ngannou a bout against Anthony Joshua, another fighter of high pedigree. Joshua, a two-time world champion, is on a comeback trail, having suffered back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk.
