Even Tyson Fury would say I won that fight

Francis Ngannou shocked the world in his fight against Tyson Fury, but the judges surprised Ngannou with their decision.

In a highly anticipated crossover boxing match in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Ngannou suffered a close split decision loss to Fury. The decision was heavily disputed, including by Ngannou himself, who believes he should have been declared the winner in his professional boxing debut.

“If Fury was being honest, he would acknowledge that I won that fight,” Ngannou said in a post-fight interview with ESPN. “I won that fight. There is no question about it. I knew that if this fight went to a decision, I wouldn’t win – not because I didn’t perform well, but because I’m the new guy. I entered this arena wanting to shake things up. However, there’s a entrenched system in place, and to dismantle it requires remarkable effort. I didn’t expect to win by decision alone. But that’s how it played out. I did my job. I know I gave it my all. Perhaps next time, I need to do even better to convince the judges.”

In the fight, Ngannou surprised everyone by knocking Fury down with a stunning left hook in Round 3. However, the judges scored the bout in favor of Fury, with scores of 95-94, 95-94, and 96-93.

Despite the loss, Ngannou sees this experience as invaluable for his boxing career, which he hopes will have many more fights in the future.

For now, Ngannou remains committed to both MMA and boxing. He previously signed with the PFL and intends to honor that contract by competing in an MMA fight in the near future.

“I can do both. Nothing is stopping me from doing both. If I have the skill for both, then why not? Right now, I have a deal with PFL, and I plan on fighting in MMA again. I still love it. I might also do some more boxing matches. Stepping into the ring for just one fight wasn’t my plan. The plan remains the same,” Ngannou explained.

Ngannou’s performance in the match earned him respect from the combat sports community. He chooses to ignore the doubts and negativity and instead focuses on believing in himself.

For more details about the fight, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Fury vs. Ngannou.

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Story originally appeared on MMA Junkie