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Ex-UFC heavyweight champ Francis Ngannou is riding high off his success against Tyson Fury despite losing a split decision in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on October 28.
Despite only losing the decision because of a single judge’s scorecard, he won’t appeal the decision.
“Who am I gonna appeal to? [The British Boxing Commission]? I have no chance. I think that’s just another way of humiliation.”
Francis Ngannou explains Tyson Fury loss
Despite his decision to not appeal the loss, Francis is anything but happy about the loss to Fury.
In a recent interview with the YouTube talk show ‘Paper Route’ Francis Ngannou opened up about why he feels the judges were against him in Saudi Arabia.
“Yes, I had the same feelings,” Ngannou admitted when told that fans felt he was “robbed” against Fury. “Definitely, I was robbed. But, also I have an understanding that you can’t just walk in and disrupt a system like that. I think it was a very bad look for boxing, for everything—and there was a lot of business involved. So, some judges just sacrificed themself and take the hit, and save the face. But, they know that that was a dirty job. There wasn’t even a judging, they wasn’t even judging those fights. There was just, like, ‘Okay, we’re not going to lose.'”
“I think even if there was a knockout, they would have found a way to make me lost that fight—because I should have won that fight,” he continued. “The guy give me elbow! He elbowed me and they didn’t even—yeah… And the referee didn’t even say anything. If that elbow had hurt me? I’m sure they would have count that as a punch and give him a decision, right?
“But, I was prepared. I knew. I knew what I was stepping into. So, I wasn’t going there to frustrate myself. I wasn’t going there to let them get in my mind or to get me frustrated. I was just going there to fight and perform and do my best. And that’s what I did. And then it seems like, at the end, it was them getting frustrated. Because, even that elbow was out of frustration.”
Francis Ngannou wants to clean up boxing
Given that result, it’s no surprise Ngannou wants changes.
“Absolutely, 1000%,” Ngannou agreed when asked if he felt boxing needed fixing. “I think boxing has to make it back to the noble art that it was at some point. They have to take out all these politics, all these controversial decisions, all these personal interests that everyone has to protect, and make the sport right. Because, for someone like me? Of course, I don’t care. I was just about: to get the big fight, fight the big guy, and go there and prove people wrong. And I did, and I think I’m very happy with my performance and what I did. Yes, the result wasn’t there.
“But, for some guy that is out there building his record and working hard? To get out there and have those kind of outcome? That might have a huge impact in his career. It’s not fair at all. It doesn’t represent boxing very well, because boxing is known as a noble art. But it seems like the people behind it are not noble at all. I mean, they have nothing noble, because when I saw one of those scores, I was like, ‘There is nothing noble in here.’ This is like public robbery. You’re not even ashamed of it in public face.
“Someone scored it 93-96,” he concluded. “And I’m like, ‘Okay, which fight are we scoring?’ But, I think we get to the point where they’re like, ‘Okay, we don’t care. We don’t have no scruple. We will retain our interest no matter what. And those kind of guys should be cut out of the sport. We should kick them out of the sport, period.”
As if taking on the entire boxing establishment isn’t enough, Francis Ngannou has a lot of potential partners on his dance card. We don’t know what’s next for Ngannou, whether it be a boxing rematch against Tyson Fury or a return to the PFL cage to defend his lineal MMA heavyweight title.
But rest assured, Bloody Elbow will keep you posted as developments occur.
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