Former UFC champion Francis Ngannou is fuming after suffering a close ten round split decision loss to WBC king Tyson Fury.
Their fight, which took place on Saturday night in Saudi Arabia, saw two judges issued tallies of 95-94 and 96-93 for Fury, while a third had it 95-94 for Ngannou.
Ngannou, who was making his pro debut in boxing, feels strongly that he was robbed of a victory. He wants to see sanctions come down on the two judges who scored the fight for Fury.
“I think it’s a shame for boxing though,” Ngannou said. “I think it’s a shame for this sport. And those judges or whoever, they should be sanctioned. Again, I want to understand why those judges judge like that, because for me, to be honest, I don’t care that much about that decision, but I think those kinds of decisions mess up a lot of people’s careers.”
During the bout, Ngannou shocked everyone when he dropped Fury in the third round. The fight continued on very competitive terms for the rest of the contest. Fury’s sustained damage on his left eye and he was cut on forehead from an Ngannou uppercut.
Ngannou entered the contest as a massive underdog, with most observers expecting Fury to have an early night.
“This is really my first time to fight and to do 10-round boxing match, straight boxing. I told myself that I didn’t do bad against the No. 1 heavyweight in the world, so I’ve just to go back and focus on that, and use that experience to work on it and get prepared for the next time. I think this just gets me even more excited and hungry to prove. I was wounded, but I realize I can bite,” Ngannou said.