Former UFC star Francis Ngannou has secured the 10th position in the World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight rankings after his debut professional boxing match in a non-title bout against champion Tyson Fury last month.
The 37-year-old began exploring boxing after parting ways with the UFC in January. Although he lost the match, the WBC made an unusual decision during their 2023 convention by awarding a ranking to him, a boxer with no professional wins.
Fury's WBC heavyweight title was not at stake in this 10-round match. However, Ngannou showcased his resilience and skill. From the opening bell, he tanked Fury's punches while delivering powerful counterattacks. He also managed to knockdown Fury with a left hand in the third round.
Fury won via split decision. One judge scored 95-94 for Ngannou, while the rest scored 96-93 and 95-94 for Fury.
The Cameroonian-French fighter, who hadn't fought since January 2022, maintained he had won the fight and expressed his sentiments in a video posted on social media.
"Waking up today, I just remembered I'm the guy that just defeated the number one heavyweight boxer in the world," said Ngannou.
"Yes, I really believe I won that fight. I should've done better, but still, I won that fight. So keep it up."
Despite the loss, Ngannou garnered widespread praise for his strong performance against the WBC champion. In his UFC career, Ngannou achieved notable victories, including triumphs over two-time heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic and former Interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane.
Ngannou's boxing prospects
Ngannou’s move to the Professional Fighters League (PFL) has granted him the flexibility to fight in both boxing and mixed martial arts, a privilege he lacked during his tenure with the UFC. He is scheduled to make his MMA debut for the PFL in early 2024.
"The Predator" has expressed his desire for a rematch with Fury. He is aiming to contest for Fury's WBC championship this time around.
Fury, however, has committed to a highly anticipated unification bout against Oleksandr Usyk for all four major heavyweight titles, set to unfold in early 2024. Acknowledging the Fury-Usyk contractual commitment, Ngannou expressed his willingness to wait for the outcome of that bout.
"I would be willing to wait . I know that they are going to fight, they had a contract already, so they are going to fight sometime in February instead of December 23, which is my fault," Ngannou told TMZ.
"I shouldn't have cut him. He would've fought December 23, and maybe we would've run it back early next year."
Earlier this month, Ngannou received offers from Matchroom Sport chair Eddie Hearn for a match against former heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua in Saudi Arabia on December 28. However, he asserted that his primary focus in boxing would be securing a rematch with Fury for the foreseeable future.
"First of all, it's too soon. Secondly, my focus, as boxing is concerned, is a rematch with Tyson. That's the most important thing for me right now, everything else for boxing comes after," he said.
Notable names such as Deontay Wilder and Joseph Parker have also entered the conversation as prospective opponents for Ngannou.