Tyson Fury was quite sensationally knocked down by Francis Ngannou recently in Riyadh, saying afterwards that it was one of his toughest fights in a decade.
It was Ngannou’s professional boxing debut, making the scenes all the more shocking. The 37-year-old boxed well against an off-form Fury, making it the ten round distance but ultimately losing by split decision.
With the pre-fight script flipped, the MMA man turned in-demand boxer has made it clear that he wants a second crack at Fury. In a newly released post-fight clip, the Brit told TNT Sports that it was likely.
“No, he was what I thought he would be. I thought he would have a puncher’s chance like the rest of them. Listen, he was a good fighter and we’ll probably have a rematch down the line somewhere. Who’d have thought it?”
Who would have thought it indeed. Ngannou was given little to no chance in the lead-up by both Fury and unbiased observers.
Now, he has snatched an air of invincibility from ‘The Gypsy King’ when he needed it most – ahead of an undisputed fight with Oleksandr Usyk. It’s that contract that will likely see Ngannou wait until two fights time for a rematch.
In the meantime, he has had offers from both Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder, with the two former champions hoping to tempt him away from a return to mixed martial arts under the Professional Fighters League banner.
Both the date for the undisputed fight as well as Ngannou’s next move are expected to be announced in the coming months.