Francis Ngannou stunned the world in his boxing fight with Tyson Fury
Tyson Fury narrowly avoided one of the most seismic upsets in boxing history as he narrowly outpointed ex-UFC fighter Francis Ngannou in their crossover boxing fight. The ‘Gypsy King’ was part of a huge event in Saudi Arabia, where he was looking to assert his experience and dominance to improve his undefeated record again in what was seen as a routine task.
The build-up had been one heavily in favour of Fury from fans with some even seeing it as a warm-up event, particularly given thecontrasting pad work, before his potential clash with Oleksandr Usyk after the contracts were finally signed. However, the wild events that unfolded in the cash-rich Middle East would send shockwaves around the globe, in a sharp contrast to the crossover clash between Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather.
Ngannou had little expectation from the watching world on his shoulders, but he came in with huge confidence, despite ‘awful’ training footage emerging before his contest having worked with Mike Tyson. But he certainly delivered, starting at a sharp pace and simply stunning Fury with some surprisingly crisp technique and predicted punch-power.
But a moment which will be relived in the boxing history books forever came in the third round, during which Fury was left crumpled on the canvas after Ngannou detonated a huge left hook. A huge gasp went around the arena, with the knockdown having come just moments after inflicting a cut on his rival, and it looke worryingly like it would all be too much for the ‘Gypsy King’.
The judges scorecards were announced in his favour and ‘The Predator’ unfortunately did not do enough to get given the nod, as a split decision was declared. But things were certainly not bad for Ngannou, who had certainly gained a moral victory and produced a moment which will never be forgotten, and could change his career forever.
As always, Compubox compiled the punching statistics throughout the fight, and they are a seriously good read for Ngannou who will be delighted with his stunning performance on the night. It was revealed that the Cameroon star had outlanded Fury by total power punches on the night to a deficit of 37-32, despite being outlanded overall by the boxing champion.
It also shows how dominant he was in the third round, the stanza where he scored a huge knockdown which was seen as a real turning point in the fight given the damage he inflicted. However, a point at which Ngannou may have seen the fight taken away from him came in the final two periods where he landed just six of his 38 punches, but it was clear he was tiring.
All in all, it is an intriguing situation as it shows quite how even the fight was, despite the billing that it was given before by experts and fans alike. Ngannou certainly pushed the pace for periods of the fight, and that was reflected in the split decision where he can count himself unlucky to have possibly not been handed a draw given the recognition he deserved for his achievements.
Source: Givemesport and CompuBox/X
