Kanye West and Eminem made rare appearances along with Lil Baby, Christiano Ronaldo, Lil Baby, and more celebrities for the UFC heavyweight championship fight in Saudia Arabia on Saturday.
Before the evening’s proceedings got underway the US rappers and personalities made show stopping entrances as cameras followed to capture every moment except for Ye who showed up showed up midway through the PPV main card dressed in full black down to the socks. However, its only fitting that the Yeezy Billionaire show up to the oil rich Kingdom because in 2021 his Donda Album topped the iTunes charts in the country. Even his Christian album Jesus is King climbed to No. 1 having fans questions how did he manage to achieve that in the muslim country.
Meanwhile the fight itself is causing a stir as in the third round, the former UFC heavyweight champion, Ngannou, delivered a thunderous blow that sent the WBC champion, Tyson Fury, to the canvas – only the seventh time in his career that he hit the mat. However, Fury managed to go the distance and secured a split decision victory after ten fiercely competitive rounds.
Event with the knockout, the judges’ scorecards reflected Fury’s triumph, with scores of 96-93 and 95-94 in his favor, while Ngannou won by a narrow margin on one card at 95-94.
This win preserves Fury’s undefeated record and sets the stage for a future showdown with Oleksandr Usyk, the WBO, WBA, and IBF heavyweight champion, expected to take place before the end of the year.
Boxing legends Mike Tyson who was there along with his former rival Evander Holyfield commented on Instagram, “The true champ of the evening @francisngannou. So proud how you performed,” along with a picture with him and Ngannou.
The fighters entered the Kingdom Arena at around 1:30 am, with Ngannou accompanied by former UFC champions Israel Adesanya and Kamaru Usman, while Fury made his entrance with his father John and half-brother Tommy, among others.
Despite not having fought since his unanimous decision victory over Ciryl Gane in January 2022, Ngannou exhibited less ring rust than Fury, who hadn’t been in action since December the previous year when he stopped Derek Chisora.
The pivotal moment of the fight occurred in the third round when Ngannou landed a powerful overhand left, knocking Fury down. Although Fury easily beat the count, he struggled to regain his composure as Ngannou continued to connect with punches that defied his relative inexperience in professional boxing.
Fury, looking for rhythm, realized the need to step up his game, but Ngannou more than held his own against his highly regarded opponent, who struggled to land powerful and frequent blows, contrary to pre-fight expectations.
The relief was palpable as the final bell rang and the scorecards were revealed, with Fury’s arm raised in victory. This result virtually guarantees a future match between Fury and Usyk in December.
Analysis by Greg Rosenstein, combat reporter:
Fury narrowly clinched victory on the judges’ scorecards, but Ngannou emerges as the true winner. Few, if any, believed he had a real chance against Fury, except for a lucky knockout punch. Keep in mind that this was Ngannou’s inaugural professional boxing match, and he faced arguably the finest heavyweight boxer of our generation, known for his precision offense and seldom-seen defensive skills.
Ngannou sent Fury to the canvas in the third round with a powerful left hook and continued to press his advantage, displaying moments of aggression even in the later rounds, particularly in the eighth.
Nonetheless, it’s important to note that this was not a robbery. The fight was much closer than anticipated, and Fury, despite the knockdown, did not appear to be in grave danger. However, Fury’s performance was far from impressive, and he failed to meet the expectations of dominating a newcomer to the boxing ring. If Fury performs similarly against Usyk, he may face a rude awakening.
Fury’s Statement:
Fury expressed his surprise at the fight’s outcome, stating, “That definitely wasn’t in the script. He’s a remarkable fighter and a far better boxer than we expected. He’s an awkward opponent and a strong puncher, and I have a lot of respect for him.”
When asked about the knockdown, Fury explained, “I was caught behind the head for the knockdown. I got back up and got back to my boxing. I don’t know how close it was. I got the win, and that’s what matters.”
Ngannou’s Remarks:
Ngannou acknowledged that his training camp was relatively short, lasting only three and a half months, and he entered the fight with an injury. Nevertheless, he refrained from making excuses, saying, “I will look at what I can do next to improve my game to come back even better. I might have come up short today, I might be wounded, but I can fight, and I’m ready to fight again soon. We can run it back soon, and I’m sure I can do better. This was my first boxing match, I’m not making excuses, but I can come back even stronger.”
What’s Next for Fury:
Despite the lackluster nature of his performance, Fury and Usyk have finalized a deal to compete for the undisputed world heavyweight title, a much-anticipated event. A cut sustained by Fury early in the fight could pose a potential hurdle, but both fighters have publicly expressed their desire to face each other in their next encounter.
Usyk maintains a perfect 21-0 record, while Fury, fresh from his victory over Ngannou, boasts a professional record of 34-0-1. The winner of their upcoming bout, if it proceeds as planned, will become the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999.
