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Dana White: Francis Ngannou fight against Tyson Fury was ‘unbelievable’

James Herrick / UFC / November 3, 2023

Dana White: Francis Ngannou fight against Tyson Fury was ‘unbelievable’

Francis Ngannou shocked the combat sports world as he fought to a split decision against World Boxing Council (WBC) Champion and lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. UFC CEO Dana White praised Ngannou’s performance and called his performance “unbelievable.”

White discussed Ngannou’s performance on Donald Trump Jr’s “Triggered” Podcast. All quotes are via The Score.

“The fact that (Ngannou) went 10 rounds with Tyson Fury, it’s crazy,” White said. “If you look at – he just went 10 rounds with Tyson Fury. Conor (McGregor) made it nine or 10 with Floyd (Mayweather Jr.). Anthony Pettis just beat Roy Jones Jr. I know Roy’s friggin’ 60 years old or whatever. But I mean, I don’t know what the hell is going on. It’s crazy.

“I didn’t see the fight, but the fact that (Ngannou) went 10 rounds is unbelievable.”

Not only did Ngannou go 10 rounds with Fury, but the match was highly competitive. In the third round, Ngannou landed a knockdown. Ultimately, Ngannou lost a controversial split decision, losing by one point on the deciding scorecard.

In the late days of Ngannou’s UFC tenure, he appeared to have a turbulent relationship with the UFC and White. Ultimately, that led to the UFC releasing Ngannou after the two sides failed to reach an extension.

Despite not always seeing eye-to-eye with Ngannou, White tipped his cap to the former heavyweight champion.

“I don’t care,” White said. “Listen, these guys – at some point, everybody’s gonna move on. Everybody has to do what’s right for them and make money for their families. So whatever they gotta do, they gotta do.”]

Jon Jones wants Tyson Fury bout, says he is willing to box

Ngannou’s success leads to questions about the future of crossover boxing events. More specifically, will we see more MMA stars enter the boxing ring? The answer to that question will likely come down to White’s opinion of the events.

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