Shocks from Tyson Fury’s narrow split decision win over Francis Ngannou are still reverberating around the combat world and now one former heavyweight legend has told Fury he should retire and that he was made to ‘look bad.’
Ngannou turned in a performance no one expected across 10 competitive rounds in Riyadh on Saturday night. He was patient throughout, boxed as well as any debutant ever had and even scored a knockdown in the third round.
For his part, Fury looked off his game and unable to land with many clean shots nor use his size and weight to bully Ngannou, whose experience in the octagon as an MMA fighter clearly showed when it came to the clinches.
The mood after the fight was subdued so rather than Fury announcing the much-expected December 23rd date for his undisputed clash with Oleksandr Usyk, it was merely suggested the fight would take place soon. Usyk insists he is ready and that the fight must indeed take place in December.
Speaking to FightHub TV in the aftermath of the fight, former undisputed heavyweight champion, Riddick Bowe, thought the fight was ‘a draw’ but that Fury should retire off the back of the poor performance.
“Tyson, he needs to retire.
He’s fought a guy who’s had no fights and just turning pro and for a guy that’s got no experience, Tyson Fury should have got him out of there early.
He made Tyson look bad. He knocked him down, he hit him with shots. If he don’t have any experience how could he do all that? He made Tyson look bad. In my opinion I think Tyson should retire but I think he will continue and see what happens.”
Fury has said he will be back to fight Uysk but first is taking time to heal and be with his family.