Tyson Fury was awarded a split-decision victory over Francis Ngannou in their heavyweight bout in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday despite getting knocked down in the third round.
The heavily favored Fury took the cards 96-93, 95-94 and 94-95 in the 10-round bout. It was the pro boxing debut of Ngannou, the former UFC heavyweight champion. Ngannou had not fought anywhere since January 2022. Fury entered a 14-1 favorite.
"I'm very happy, it didn't go my way," Ngannou said. "Tonight was a feel of the water and I know the temperature of the water."
According to CompuBox, Ngannou landed 37 power shots to Fury's 32, in addition to the knockdown. Fury landed more punches overall, 71-59, including 14 in the final two rounds versus just six for Ngannou, according to CompuBox.
While Saturday night's fight was not a title bout, Fury's next one is — Dec. 23 against Oleksandr Usyk in Riyadh for the undisputed heavyweight championship.
"It will be our next fight guaranteed," Fury said.
—Field Level Media