Luke Campbell has described Tyson Fury’s controversial split decision victory over MMA fighter Francis Ngannou as a ‘joke’ with judges’ scorecards ‘destroying the sport.’
Heavyweight champion Fury survived a shock third-round knockdown to overcome ex-UFC star Ngannou having gone the distance in Saudi Arabia.
One judge scored the fight 95-94 in favour of Ngannou, while the other two handed it to Fury 96-93 and 95-94.
The split decision win rescued Fury’s lucrative heavyweight showdown with Oleksandr Usyk just before Christmas and the millions of dollars riding on it.
But former Olympic gold medallist and lightweight world title challenger Campbell wasn’t impressed by the spectacle.
Francis Ngannou sent Tyson Fury to the canvas with a thunderous left hook in round three
Fury got back to his feet to box his way into the fight and won narrowly on points
Former lightweight world title challenger Luke Campbell wasn’t impressed by the spectacle
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‘What a joke that is. Destroying the sport,’ Campbell wrote on his X account.
A follow-up post read: ‘I see a lot of excuses coming.’
Fury just about preserved his shot at becoming the first undisputed world heavyweight champion for more than a decade when the Gypsy King and Usyk put their belts on the line in December.
But Ngannou, in his first official boxing match, gave him a fright in round three after connecting with a left hook behind the ear that sent Fury to the canvas.
Despite Ngannou continuing to land punches in the later rounds and Fury wearing the greater damage after going the distance, the scorecards fell in favour of the pro boxer.
Fury won the commemorative ‘Riyadh champion’ belt and extended his unbeaten record to 35 fights – comprising 34 wins and one draw.
Fury holds up his WBC World Heavyweight title belt – which wasn’t on the line here – post-fight