In a somewhat controversial move, Francis
Ngannou has been ranked by the World Boxing Council at
heavyweight.
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As reported by
Reuters, Ngannou has entered the WBC poll at No. 10 following a
split-decision defeat to Tyson Fury
on Oct. 28 in Saudia Arabia. The former UFC heavyweight champion
scored a knockdown of Fury and was competitive throughout the
fight, which allowed him to receive a 95-94 scorecard from one
ringside judge. Fury, meanwhile, received tallies of 96-93 and
95-94 to get the split-decision nod.
While many observers believed Ngannou deserved to win the fight, it
is rare for the WBC to rank an athlete with no professional wins on
his record. “The Predator” was making his pro boxing debut after
parting ways with the UFC earlier this year. Fury, meanwhile, will
move on to an undisputed heavyweight championship fight against
Oleksandr Usyk, which has been targeted for Feb. 17.
Ngannou is also signed to Professional Fighters League, where he is
expected to make his debut with the organization at some point in
2024. Whether that comes before or after another boxing match is
still unclear, though there have been
discussions for an MMA or mixed rules bout against boxing
heavyweight Deontay
Wilder.