British heavyweight boxer Tyson ‘Gipsy King’ Fury survived a devastating third round knockdown to defeat Francis Ngannou of Cameron in a 10-round non-title heavyweight bout in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday. 

Ngannou, a mixed martial artist making a professional boxing debut, with a fierce left hook dropped Fury, an unbeaten WBC champion, on the canvas in a fight largely regarded as a mismatch and work over for the Briton.

Fury, however, picked himself up, narrowly boxing to victory on a split decision as a judge scored 95-94 to Ngannou, while the other two officials scored it 96-93 and 95-94 to Fury.

Contrary to most predictions giving Fury the victory on a platter even before the fight, Ngannou showed strength taking and landing punches until the 10th round against a champion. 

Fury’s victory saw him survive a first defeat and what could be a major upset in heavyweight boxing but not without a cut on his forehead and a welt under one of his eyes.

Unlike Ngannou, 37, a first timer in a professional boxing ring, Fury, 35, came into the game with a sterling career record. 

Since he turned professional in 2008, Fury has remained unbeaten, winning 33 fights and drawing just one. 24 of Fury’s victories were via knock out.

“That definitely wasn’t in the script,” Fury said after the fight which he described as one of the toughest in the last decade. 

“He’s given me probably one of my toughest fights in the last 10 years. Francis is a hell of a fighter, strong, big puncher, and a lot better boxer than we all thought he would be,” Fury said. 

Speaking after the fight, Ngannou said “It didn’t go my way. I might have come up short today. I’ll come back.”

Saturday’s fight comes some weeks to the undisputed championship fight scheduled to hold December 23 between Fury and Oleksandr Usyk. 

Usyk was present in the audience to see the fight between his opponent.