Francis Ngannou made a gigantic splash in just his first boxing match.
Ngannou shocked the boxing world yesterday (Sat., Oct. 28, 2023) at the Battle of the Baddest, losing a razor-close split decision to WBC Heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury from inside Boulevard Hall in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (watch highlights).
Even though Ngannou lost to Fury, he gained a lot of respect from the boxing community, and according to Ngannou’s coach, Dewey Cooper, he will be a top 10 ranked boxer when the new rankings come out.
“Mauricio Sulaiman, the president of the WBC, said he’s going to rank him in the top 10 because he’s better than most of the heavyweights in the top 10. He said that in the ring,” Cooper told MMA Junkie after the fight.
Dewey Cooper told me ringside after #FuryNgannou that Mauricio Sulaiman, president of WBC, told him Francis Ngannou will be ranked top 10 at heavyweight after tonight’s bout. pic.twitter.com/jbIxaXkKpm
— Mike Bohn (@MikeBohn) October 29, 2023
Being a top 10 0-1 boxer is a pretty mind-blowing stat, but with Ngannou’s impressive showing in his boxing debut, it is more than warranted.
According to Boxing Scene, here are the current top 10 World Boxing Council (WBC) rankings:
- Deontay Wilder
- Anthony Joshua
- Arslanbek Makhmudov
- Frank Sanchez
- Andy Ruiz
- Jared Anderso
- Efe Ajagba
- Dillian Whyte
- Martin Bakole
- Joseph Parker
Ngannou, 37, might have come up short in his boxing debut, but he turned heads and ultimately announced himself as a real boxer. He plans to return to mixed martial arts but will continue to box.
For complete Fury vs. Ngannou results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.