Tyson Fury, the reigning WBC heavyweight champion and lineal heavyweight titleholder, emerged victorious in a hard-fought battle against Francis Ngannou last Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Despite being hurt in Round 3, Fury secured a split decision win over the former UFC heavyweight champion in his boxing debut.

Following the fight, many of Ngannou's peers lauded his performance and criticized the scoring, but Fury was quick to give credit to his opponent for the challenging fight he provided. When asked if he had underestimated Ngannou, Fury responded, "Nope. You can't take anything away from Francis Ngannou. He's a good fighter and he gave me a very good fight. I trained very well, and I don't think I have an excuse or anything."

Throughout the lead-up to the bout, Fury had maintained a serious attitude towards Ngannou, emphasizing that he would not underestimate the boxing neophyte. Despite being designated as the overwhelming favorite, the undefeated Fury acknowledged that the media's labeling of the fight as a mismatch often indicated a tough challenge ahead.

However, Fury expressed that he was not overwhelmed by Ngannou's punching power and attributed the knockdown in Round 3 to a left hook catching him in an awkward spot. "Apart from that, he didn't get very much else," Fury added.

Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn, on the other hand, heavily criticized Fury's performance, stating that it "looked like he never boxed before." When asked about Hearn's comments, Fury dismissed them, proclaiming, "Eddie Hearn's a sausage. I don't care what he says. It would be nothing good anyway."

The clash with Ngannou marked Fury's first fight since defeating Derek Chisora in December of last year, resulting in an 11-month period of inactivity for the heavyweight champion. Fury admitted that his timing was off but refused to use it as an excuse for the closer-than-expected outcome.

Looking ahead, Fury is set to face Oleksandr Usyk in a bout that aims to unify all the major heavyweight titles. However, the two sides currently disagree on the date, as the previously announced December 23rd matchup is not yet confirmed.

While acknowledging that he may not always be the best version of himself in every fight, Fury emphasized the importance of moving forward. "It's about keep going and on to the next one, which is Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed championship," he stated.

As the boxing world eagerly awaits the clash between Fury and Usyk, Fury's victory over Ngannou serves as a reminder of his resilience and his ability to overcome tough challenges in pursuit of his goals.