Francis Ngannou is taking heat from fans for his thoughts on the big fight.
The PFL Super Fights heavyweight champion hit the road with Cristiano Ronaldo during his trip to Saudi Arabia for Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury II, which took place at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh on Saturday evening.
Francis Ngannou sat in the front row as the man he fought suffered a second straight points defeat to Usyk in his boxing debut.
'The Predator' shocked fans when he claimed the decision could have gone in Fury's favor, even though all three judges had his opponent as a clear 116-112 winner.
Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images
Francis Ngannou irritates fans with Usyk vs Fury 2 version
Ngannou encountered a reporter as he headed for the exit after the fight.
The former UFC heavyweight champion gave his opinion, which was not in line with the consensus, as he saw a competitive clash that could have gone either way in the end.
“It was an exciting fight, Fury could have won,” Ngannou told Seconds out.
“I mean, it was pretty close. It was pretty close.
“He could have won based on the fight. Yes, maybe because it was very even.
Boxing fans flooded the video's comments section to mock Ngannou's judgement.
One fan worried that Ngannou's score from the fight suggests he is still feeling the effects of his loss to Anthony Joshua: “This guy is still concussed from AJ KO.”
Another added: “He's not a boxer so obviously he doesn't know what he saw lol.”
This fan said: “Another clown.”
Someone else asked: “Francis is finally awake, right?”
What's next for Francis Ngannou?
Ngannou made it look easy when he KO'd Renan Ferreira in his MMA return match in October.
The Cameroonian was away from the sport for almost three years before making his PFL debut.
Two big boxing fights against Fury and Joshua ended in defeat, but he is still linked with a return to the ring. Former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder is often touted as the man who will welcome him back into the squared circle.
Denis Goltsov became a potential threat to Ngannou in MMA by winning PFL's $1 million heavyweight tournament in November.
One fight that can be ruled out is a cross-promotional clash with Jon Jones. The UFC heavyweight champion has long been a target for Ngannou, but now he's tired of chasing MMA's biggest fighter.
When asked about the possible clash by Seconds Out, he replied: “It's been four years since I said it; I'm confused that people keep asking me this question.”
At this point the interviewer pressed the matter and asked if there was any chance we could see the fight, to which the fighter raged, “That's not my problem, I don't care anymore. If it happens, yes, if it doesn't happen, f*** it.”
UFC boss Dana White has a '100 percent' guarantee that Jones will next face interim UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, while Ngannou's future is slightly less clear as he continues to weigh his options in MMA and boxing.
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