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Tyson Fury experienced one of the most damaging nights of his career

Being knocked down by ex-UFC fighter casts doubt over Briton's chances against Oleksandr Usyk in fight that now looks set to be delayed

Tyson Fury looks shocked after being knocked down by Francis Ngannou - Tyson Fury experienced one of the most damaging nights of his career against Francis Ngannou
Tyson Fury looks shocked after being knocked down by Francis Ngannou Credit: Getty Images/Fayez Nureldine

Tyson Fury experienced one of the most damaging nights of his boxing career against Francis Ngannou, yet it only makes the Oleksandr Usyk fight even more enticing for boxing fans when the two heavyweight champions eventually face off for the undisputed title.

This was a rough, tough night for Fury, yet it had been classed as a vast mis-match between the two protagonists. It was nothing of the sort.

Ngannou, indeed, almost pulled off the greatest shock result in the history of heavyweight boxing, the former UFC heavyweight champion having never fought a professional bout in his career. Regardless, Ngannou shocked the world anyway, and stunned onlookers in the packed Kingdom Arena.

Fury left the ring with his left eye closing, his head marked, looking like he had been beaten up. Ngannou, a novice professional, took the decision like a gentleman, and has done himself proud.

Ngannou dropped an embarrassed Fury with a left hand in the third round, launched an assault on the ‘Gypsy King’ in the eighth stanza, and on ‘the eye test’ – not the judges’ cards – produced a performance that pushed the unbeaten World Boxing Council champion to the limit. 

Going... Credit: Getty Images/Justin Setterfield
... going... Credit: Getty Images/Justin Setterfield
... gone – Fury did get up to earn a split decision win over Ngannou, but this knockdown was a loss of face for the champion Credit: Getty Images/Justin Setterfield

Fury – who won a controversial split decision 96-93, 95-94, and 95-94 for Ngannou – had an off night, yet that should take nothing away from the determination, obduracy, strength, fitness and heart of the Cameroonian who, like the favourite, switched effortlessly between orthodox and southpaw stances.

Ngannou’s stock rose as much as Fury’s fell in this fight, as the former mixed martial arts star thwarted the Briton’s attempts to attack with power and desire – and showed a surprising boxing IQ. Ngannou will come again, one suspects, in another prize fight, which could be against the likes of Deontay Wilder or, say, Zhilei Zhang. Enticing contests indeed.

But drama and controversy sell in the fight game, always have, always will, and the debate will rage as to the outcome of the upcoming Fury vs Usyk fight, as the WBC champion nurses his bruises and damage to the side of his left eye after what became a messy, cumbersome performance. Fury, indeed, acknowledged that it had been “one of the toughest fights in the last 10 years.”

Frank Warren, Fury’s promoter, told Telegraph Sport that Ngannou had shocked everyone, and that he had shown more in the performance and given Fury more problems “than Dillian Whyte and Derek Chisora combined”. Those were Fury’s last two outings, and Warren added that he sees it as “unlikely” that the signed undisputed title fight will go ahead on December 23 with Fury needing recovery time.

“I’ve told Tyson he needs to go away and have a break,” added Warren, the morning after the night before, in a contest which stunned onlookers with its enactments in the ring, which were unpredictable before the first bell.

Prior to Saturday night’s contest, with the opening of the Riyadh Season as a spectacular backdrop, the reported $100 million Fury-Usyk unification fight was on course to return to Riyadh this year, but Fury now requires – in his words, too – “a break” from the sport.

Oleksandr Usyk looks on prior to the Fury-Ngannou fight in Riyadh... Credit: Getty Images/Justin Setterfield
... then has a good look into Fury's eyes at the end of the fight Credit: Getty Images/Justin Setterfield

If anything, the poor performance, by the champion’s standards, ought to provide a sharpener for Fury. Looking back on the action, Ngannou was rock-like, and although Fury attempted several times to control the fight, there were never sustained periods of ascendancy, which must have bewildered the fighter renowned for his IQ.

Ngannou did fatigue in the latter periods of the 10-round non-championship bout, but Fury was still unable, in spite of using his jab effectively, to hurt his huge foe in very close rounds which might have gone to either fighter.

It was a surreal night for Fury, who perhaps, either willingly or not, had underestimated Ngannou’s challenge. There was a face-off between Fury and Usyk in the ring post-fight, but it was lost in the shock at ringside as Ngannou celebrated with his supporters. Who knows, they may even play it back and have a second encounter in the future.

It is time for Fury and team to go back to the drawing board, before what will be an almighty physical chess match with Usyk, and based on this performance and this version of Fury, another difficult fight. 

Lennox Lewis, the last undisputed champion in 1999, told Telegraph Sport that he “would have rushed” Usyk had he fought the unbeaten Ukrainian. 

But the contest has now become even more enticing, more debatable, when the pair collide in an era-defining fight for the blue riband division in a clash of unbeaten champions which must happen as soon as it is viable.