Cristiano Ronaldo and a slew of other sports celebrities were on hand for Tyson Fury’s boxing match in Riyadh.
Tyson Fury, the world heavyweight champion, won a controversial split decision over MMA fighter Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia.
Their boxing match, dubbed the “Battle of the Baddest,” went the distance in Riyadh, with Ngannou knocking Fury out in the third round. Despite being disturbed, the British fighter was able to continue.
Fury won with scores of 96-93 and 95-94 from two judges. Meanwhile, Ngannou received a 95-94 from the other judge. Fury’s record is 34-0-1 with 24 knockouts.
Meanwhile, Ngannou made his boxing debut, and his UFC record is 17-3. Despite the fact that it was an official fight, Fury’s championship belt was not at stake.
Fury leaned on his jab early in the fight and then turned to left-handed fighting in the second round after Ngannou opened a gash above his left eye. Then, with 43 seconds left in the third round, Ngannou down Fury with a left hook.
The match drew a large attendance and was attended by celebrities such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Conor McGregor, Vince McMahon, and The Undertaker. Here’s a footage of Ronaldo and McGregor entering the Riyadh venue:
Fury described the battle as his “toughest fight in ten years” afterward. He praised his opponent, saying, “He’s a very awkward man, and he’s a good puncher and I respect him a lot. Probably my toughest fight in 10 years”.
“I don’t know how close it was, but I got the win and that’s how it was. Fair play to Francis, he cut my head here. It was a good fight,” he further added.
Meanwhile, Ngannou said, “This was my first boxing match, great experience — I’m not giving any excuse. I know I come up short, I’m going to come back and work harder… now I know I can do this.”
