Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou 0-1 wants a second crack at Tyson Fury 34-0-1 (24) following his split decision loss to the WBC heavyweight champion at Boulevard Hall in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday night.
In his first ever boxing bout, the 37-year-old Ngannou of Cameroon gave Fury all he could handle in their 10-round non-title bout, out-punching the champion and dropping him in the third.
Britain’s Fury, 35, had the edge in connects, eking out the win by scores of 94-95, 95-94 and 96-93.
Ngannou didn’t look out of place against arguably the best heavyweight in the world and believes he has done enough to deserve a rematch.
“We can run it back again and I’m sure I will get better,” Ngannou said. “This was my first boxing match. It was a great experience.
“I’m not giving any excuse. I know I came up short. But I’m going to go back and work harder with a little more experience and a little more feeling of the game. And I will come back even stronger.
“At first, I was a little nervous. This is a new sport that I never did. Now I know I can do this shit. So, get ready!”
Fury looked underprepared for the Ngannou fight which was widely seen as a tune-up for his mooted four-belt unification bout against WBA, WBO, IBF and Ring Magazine heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk 21-0 (14).
Ngannou’s skillset surprised most fans and pundits, as did the left hook that landed high on Fury’s dome in the third round and sent him toppling to the canvas.
After the knockdown, Fury relied on his jab to work his way back into the fight. From the fourth round on, Fury landed 28 jabs and 24 power punches according to CompuBox.
After ten rounds, Ngannou had landed five more power punches than Fury. Fury landed 17 more jabs than Ngannou and that seems to be what nipped the fight for him.
Fury admitted Ngannou surprised him and said he earned his respect.
“That definitely wasn’t in the script,” Fury said. “He’s one hell of a fighter. He’s strong, a big puncher, and a lot better as a boxer than we thought he would ever be. He’s a very awkward man and he’s a good puncher. I respect him a lot, before the fight and afterward.
“He was very awkward. He wasn’t coming forward. He was standing back and waiting for me to land my punches and then try to counter. He’s a good fighter. He’s given me one of my toughest fights in the last 10 years.
“[The knockdown] is part of boxing. I got caught behind the head again. My legs weren’t hurt or nothing. I was alright. And I got back up and it was what it was. And I got back to my boxing. I don’t know how close it was. But I got the win, and that’s what it is.”
