Ngannou almost beating Fury adds to the shock of fighters switching rings

The boxing world was left shell-shocked after Tyson Fury had to rise from the mat to secure a highly disputed split decision win against the ex-UFC champion Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia.

Fury vs Ngannou 

• In his first professional boxing bout, Ngannou went the distance against Tyson Fury, the reigning WBC heavyweight champion since 2020.
• During the match just after midnight (October 29, 2023) on Saturday in Riyadh., Ngannou scored a knockdown in the third round with a powerful left hook.

• Despite a valiant effort, Fury ultimately won the fight with scores of 96-93 and 95-94 from two judges, securing his undefeated record.
• Meanwhile, one judge scored it 95-94 in favor of Ngannou.

• Fury ended the fight with a cut forehead and a mark under his left eye, along with a mind full of shock due to Ngannou's performance.

Tyson Fury's unbeaten record was almost tarnished, saved by a single judge's ruling. This maintains the high stakes in his bid to become the undisputed world heavyweight champion, while Oleksandr Usyk, who holds other titles, watched from the sidelines, hoping for a shot at a less impressive Fury.

Along with the loads of surprise that the clash had offered, Fury vs Ngannou added to the list of surprises the world witnessed when fighters had switched rings and still came out impressively.

Times when fighters switched rings

Conor McGregor 

• The world went berserk when two of the top and most renowned fighters of this generation, Conor McGregor (Former MMA Featherweight Champion), and Floyd Mayweather (Undefeated Boxing World Champion), faced off against each other.
   

• This fight garnered significant attention due to the fact that it marked Conor McGregor's debut into the world of boxing.
• Stepping into the ring for the first time as a boxer against the reigning undisputed champion was a bold and impactful statement of his intent.
• The fight, which was expected to be one-sided by many, turned out to be a heavy one with both fighters landing heavy punches for points, with Mayweather ultimately defeating McGregor by TKO in Round 10.

Ronda Rousey

• Ronda Rousey, during her prime, was often considered one of the most popular female fighters at the UFC, and her appearance in Fast and Furious 7 only added to her fame.

• Rousey shocked a significant chunk of MMA fans when she announced her retirement from MMA in 2016 and then began her career in professional wrestling in 2018 with the WWE franchise, making her debut at WrestleMania 34.

• Rousey has since been one of the top performers in the WWE franchise, claiming the Raw Women's Championship at 2018's SummerSlam and headlining WWE's exclusive all-women's pay-per-view, Evolution.

Brock Lesnar

• When discussing athletes crossing over into different combat sports, there's no overlooking Brock Lesnar's remarkable career. He achieved significant titles in both wrestling and MMA.

Brock Lesnar, now a professional wrestler and former UFC heavyweight champion, left a lasting mark in mixed martial arts. He notably captured the heavyweight title by defeating Randy Couture and successfully defended it with a TKO against Frank Mir at UFC 100.

• Lesnar holds the distinction of being one of just two fighters to compete at both UFC 100 in 2009 and UFC 200 in 2016. During UFC 200, he secured a unanimous decision victory over Mark Hunt, although the result was later changed to a no contest due to a positive drug test.

Anderson Silva

• Anderson Silva, often hailed as the greatest UFC fighter, had an intriguing start as a pro boxer. Despite his immense UFC success, few remember his early boxing days.

• Anderson Silva, often hailed as the greatest UFC fighter, began his career as a pro boxer in the early '90s, starting with amateur bouts in Brazil. He transitioned to professional boxing in 1998, but his debut against Osmar Teixeira ended in a knockout loss.

• In 2005, he returned to boxing for one more fight and secured a victory by knocking out Julio Cesar De Jesus in the second round. Shortly after this boxing win, Silva's MMA career took off as he signed with the UFC and defeated title contender Chris Leben in only his second UFC bout.