Tyson Fury acknowledges that he was in a tough fight against Francis Ngannou, giving credit to Ngannou for the challenge he provided, and insists that he did not underestimate him despite criticism of his performance and scoring.
Tyson Fury recently secured a split decision victory over Francis Ngannou in a highly anticipated boxing match. Following the bout, many of Ngannou’s peers praised his performance and criticized the scoring. However, Fury gave full credit to Ngannou for providing a stiff challenge in his boxing debut. When asked if he had underestimated Ngannou, Fury replied, “Nope. You can’t take anything away from Francis Ngannou. He’s a good fighter and he gave me a very good fight.”
Despite being designated as the heavy favorite, Fury acknowledged the power of Ngannou’s punches, particularly a left hook that caused a knockdown in round three. However, he maintained that the knockdown was due to the punch landing in an awkward spot. Fury emphasized that he had trained well and prepared extensively for the fight, refusing to make any excuses for the unexpectedly close outcome.
Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn heavily criticized Fury’s performance, stating that it “looked like he never boxed before.” However, Fury dismissed Hearn’s opinion, referring to him as a “sausage” and expressing disinterest in hearing what the promoter had to say. Fury remained focused on his next opponent, Oleksandr Usyk, with whom he is expected to unify all the major heavyweight titles.
Fury acknowledged that his timing was off in the fight against Ngannou, citing an 11-month stretch of inactivity prior to the bout. However, he refused to use this as an excuse and praised Ngannou for his impressive performance. Looking ahead, Fury emphasized the importance of moving on to the next fight and continuing his journey towards the undisputed heavyweight championship against Usyk.
In conclusion, Tyson Fury recognized the challenge posed by Francis Ngannou and gave him full credit for their intense boxing match. Despite criticism from Eddie Hearn, Fury remained confident and focused on his future bouts, refusing to make excuses for the close outcome. Fury’s next challenge will be facing Oleksandr Usyk in a highly anticipated fight to unify the major heavyweight titles.