Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou transformed from a perceived underdog in a boxing match against Tyson Fury to securing a spot in the top 10 of the WBC heavyweight rankings.
Francis Ngannou was actually a betting favorite heading into the final round of Fury contest but alas judges saw it differently.
On the fateful night of October 28, Ngannou left the boxing world in awe. He presented Fury with an unexpected challenge, pushing the seasoned boxer to the canvas and maintaining relentless pressure throughout the bout.
Despite Ngannou’s resilience, two ringside judges ultimately favored Tyson Fury. They granted Fury the split decision victory after a grueling 10 rounds.
After the match, Ngannou’s coach Dewey Cooper revealed that WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman pledged to officially include Francis Ngannou in the ranks of the esteemed sanctioning body.
Cooper quoted Sulaiman’s assurance, “Mauricio Sulaiman, the president of the WBC, said he’s going to rank him in the top 10 because he’s better than most of the heavyweights in the top 10. He said that in the ring.”
Ngannou’s exceptional performance against the WBC heavyweight champion garnered widespread acclaim. UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier took to his YouTube channel to express his admiration.
“Francis Ngannou proved that he is the baddest man on the planet. Why? Because he was the heavyweight champion of the UFC, and he fought the lineal heavyweight champion of the world to a split decision.”
Cormier asserted that Tyson Fury would struggle to face Francis Ngannou in a mixed martial arts setting, given Ngannou’s dominance in the realm of boxing.
He continued: “Tyson Fury could not fight Francis Ngannou in mixed martial arts in the way that Francis fought Tyson in boxing. There’s no way a fight between any boxer and the UFC heavyweight champion in mixed martial arts goes to that type of decision.”
Cormier noted that this extraordinary performance stands as one of the most impressive displays of skill and determination outside of an athlete’s usual domain of expertise.
He stated: “It was the most impressive performance I’ve ever seen for a guy outside of the realm of expertise.”