Tyson Fury’s contentious split decision victory over MMA fighter Francis Ngannou has been branded by Luke Campbell as a “joke,” with judges’ scorecards “destroying the sport.”
Heavyweight champion Fury overcame ex-UFC star Ngannou after going the distance in Saudi Arabia, surviving a shocking third-round knockdown.
One judge rated the bout 95-94 in favour of Ngannou, while the other two scored it 96-93 and 95-94 in favour of the Gipsy King .
The Gipsy King’s lucrative heavyweight fight with Oleksandr Usyk soon before Christmas was saved thanks to the split decision victory.
Campbell, a former Olympic gold medalist and current lightweight world title challenger, was unimpressed by the spectacle.
“What a joke that is. Destroying the sport,” Campbell wrote on his X account.
“I see a lot of excuses coming,” he added.
When the Gipsy King and Usyk faced off in December, the Gipsy King almost missed out on becoming the first undisputed world heavyweight champion in more than a decade.
In his first official boxing match, Ngannou stunned Fury in round three with a left hook behind the ear that dropped him to the canvas.
Despite Ngannou continuing to land punches in the later rounds and the Gipsy King sustaining more injuries after going the distance, the scorecards favoured the professional boxer.
Fury won the “Riyadh champion” belt, extending his unbeaten streak to 35 fights (34 victories and one draw).
