Heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury narrowly won an exhibition boxing fight against former UFC star Francis Ngannou and almost embarrassed himself.
In front of football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and musicians Eminem and Kanye West, two judges saw the undefeated Brit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, just ahead, while one chose the 37-year-old former cage fighter Ngannou. “This was one of the most unpleasant fights for me in recent years,” Fury said after the fight. “Francis is a better boxer than we all thought.”
Knocked down in the third round
In the third round, the previously unbeaten 35-year-old Fury was knocked down with a left hook by Ngannou on his boxing debut, but was able to recover. Fury’s WBC heavyweight world title was not at stake in the duel. According to media reports, Fury received 50 million dollars (almost 47.4 million euros) for his appearance in Saudi Arabia.
Despite the defeat, Ngannou, whose team also included boxing legend Mike Tyson, felt like a winner. “I’m very, very happy,” he said. “With a little more experience in this game I’ll get even better. I know I can do it.”
