RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – It’d be hard to blame most combat sports observers for presuming they knew the eventual outcome to Francis Ngannou’s boxing debut.
They likely figured the former UFC heavyweight champion would take his career-best payday for a boxing match with WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, maybe throw some punches for a few rounds, eventually get put away by the 6-foot-9 “Gypsy King,” then head back to his new MMA home, the PFL, to play once again in his own sandbox.
But Saturday in Saudi Arabia, Ngannou put on the kind of performance that often made him look like the longtime boxer and Fury the one crossing over to a new sport. Ngannou landed the fight’s only knockdown courtesy of an overhand left in the third round. That helped him get a 95-94 score from one of the three judges in the 10-round non-title showcase fight. But the two others had the fight for Fury, who kept his unbeaten record intact with a split decision.
