- Ngannou dropped Fury before suffering a hugely controversial points defeat
- White has expressed his disbelief that the ex-UFC heavyweight king has gone ten rounds
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UFC president Dana White has admitted that Francis Ngannou leading Tyson Fury close into the boxing ring was ‘crazy’ – despite not seeing the fight himself.
Ngannou, who cut ties with the UFC early this year after a contractual dispute with White, shocked the world by going the distance with Fury in their crossover boxing match last weekend.
For many, the former UFC heavyweight champion even did enough to triumph on the scorecards in Saudi Arabia after defeating boxing’s WBC king with a chopping left hook in round three.
Ultimately, it was Fury’s hand that was raised via a hugely controversial split-decision verdict, with fans around the world calling it a robbery after a stellar performance from Ngannou.
Nearly a week after the fight that sent shockwaves through the combat sports world, White broke his silence on Ngannou’s defeat to Fury during an appearance at Donald Trump Jr. ‘Triggered’ podcast.
Dana White admits Francis Ngannou leading Tyson Fury close into the boxing ring was ‘crazy’
Ngannou dropped Fury before losing a hugely controversial split decision on the scorecards
White says it was ‘incredible’ that his former fighter managed to go ten rounds with Fury
“I didn’t see the fight, but the fact that (Ngannou) went 10 rounds with Tyson Fury is crazy,” he said.
“He just went 10 rounds with Tyson Fury, Conor (McGregor) went nine or 10 with Floyd (Mayweather), Anthony Pettis just beat Roy Jones Jr. I don’t know what’s going on. It’s crazy.
“I didn’t see the fight, but the fact he went 10 rounds is unbelievable.”
While a rematch with Fury appears unlikely due to the Gypsy King’s proposed uncontested showdown with Oleksandr Usyk, Ngannou has emerged as a potential opponent for the likes of Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder following his impressive performance in Saudi Arabia.
The 37-year-old is in demand 10 months after parting ways with the UFC, but White insists he has no qualms about fighters switching to a rival sport.
“I don’t care,” he said when asked about the prospect of MMA stars switching to boxing. “Listen, these guys, at some point everyone moves on. Everyone should do what is right for them and earn money for their family.
“So whatever they have to do, they have to do.”