Tyson Fury, undisputed WBC and lineal heavyweight champion, found himself facing unexpected challenges after his fight with Francis Ngannou on Saturday. The former UFC star managed to send Fury to the mat in the third round, shocking the world. Although Fury ultimately won the match via split decision, he admitted his performance was below par. Despite Ngannou making his pro boxing debut, Fury faced scorn as a result of his struggles in the bout. In an interview with iFLTV, a worn-out Fury discussed the fight and acknowledged the difficulties he encountered.
Approaching the fight with honesty, Fury avoided making excuses for his performance. Reflecting on the match, he admitted, “It wasn’t the best performance, but I’m not going to make any excuses. I had a good camp. There’s no one to blame and no one to do anything. It was a tough fight. I had to get off the floor to win and no excuses.” Despite his victory, Fury recognized that he struggled against Ngannou and gave credit to his opponent’s skills.
When asked if his performance on Saturday was below par, Fury agreed, highlighting the role of his opponent in shaping the fight’s outcome. “Yeah, it was a below par performance,” he confessed. “But take nothing away from the other man. You’re only as good as your opponent will let you be, and that’s a fact.” Fury dismissed the idea that he embraced the media narrative that Ngannou would be an easy fight. He asserted, “If I listened to the media and the so-called boxing experts…then I wouldn’t have been able to win that fight.”
According to Fury, he did not underestimate Ngannou and dedicated himself fully to preparation for the fight. “Didn’t underestimate him,” he affirmed. “I trained for 12 weeks, gave it the best preparation I could have done, and that’s it.” Fury further revealed that Ngannou’s boxing abilities remained somewhat of an unknown, stating, “We didn’t know how good he was. There was no footage of him. Never seen the man fight before as a boxer and that was it.” Fury admitted that Ngannou proved to be more awkward and skilled than anticipated, acknowledging his opponent’s ability and giving credit where it was due. “He was good at what he was doing, so fair play to him. Don’t take anything away from him. He gave me a better fight than all the boxers did in the past ten years.”
Despite the challenges, Fury maintained his confidence in his victory over Ngannou. Referring to the match, he stated, “The 10-8 round, and he won maybe one other round but other than that I was just boxing and he couldn’t really close the distance down on me. At points, it was tough, but not so much the other way.” Fury’s assessment of the fight suggested that he controlled the majority of the rounds and effectively kept Ngannou at bay.
Looking ahead, Fury has set his sights on fighting Olekdansr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world. Confident in his abilities, Fury declared, “I’m fighting Usyk next. We both signed the contract.” Despite the challenges faced in the fight against Ngannou, Fury remains determined to strive for further success in the boxing world.
Tyson Fury’s fight with Francis Ngannou revealed unexpected difficulties and tested Fury’s skills as a heavyweight champion. The bout highlighted the importance of not underestimating opponents and adapting to unfamiliar styles. Despite a below par performance, Fury emerged victorious, acknowledging Ngannou’s skill in providing one of the toughest fights of his career. Moving forward, Fury remains focused on achieving greatness, setting his sights on his next opponent, Olekdansr Usyk, as he seeks to add to his remarkable boxing legacy.
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