Francis Ngannou will know his World Boxing Council ranking at the forthcoming WBC Convention following his exploits against Tyson Fury.
The former UFC heavyweight champion will be rated in the top fifteen after taking Fury to the wire in Saudi Arabia. Ngannou lost a split decision but gained a considerable amount of kudos.
Fury was down in the third round and looked tired as he struggled to deal with Ngannou’s power. In the end, Fury squeezed through via a wafer-thin margin.
Despite some question marks, WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman confirmed Ngannou’s place in the November ratings. A date for that announcement can now be worked out.
The WBC Convention takes place between November 12 and November 17 in Tashkent, with the Ratings meeting always one of the first events to take place.
Francis Ngannou to be WBC Rated in November
Therefore, November 13 will be the latest Ngannou can expect to be named among the World Boxing Council heavyweight elite.
Sulaiman, who was ringside to witness Fury vs Ngannou, aired his views on the event in his latest column.
“The entrance was also a spectacle to behold: Ngannou and Fury, first sitting in thrones, made their way to the ring, and after the national anthems, the first bell rang,” said Sulaiman.
“Since the announcement of this fight, the criticism for matching the King of Boxing against the King of MMA has not ceased. But in the third round, the surprise occurred.
“Ngannou landed a tremendous counter left hook, sending Fury to the canvas to the astonishment of millions.
“Drama and expectations followed until the last bell, ending the fight. It was a tactical fight, and Fury overcame adversity, winning a split decision.
“Tyson Fury is brave and must be commended for his wisdom to weather the storm. Ngannou made a considerable impact and deserves all praise. He is for real.
“For his part, Francis Ngannou arrives at the heavyweight division, earning his place. He will surely be ranked in our next world convention in Uzbekistan.”
Rematch and Fury vs Usyk
This means whenever a rematch takes place between Fury and Ngannou, the latter can officially challenge for the WBC title. World Boxing News has previously confirmed this in an earlier article.
Before Fury vs Ngannou 2, Oleksandr Usyk must get his contracted opportunity at the undisputed title. As promoter Frank Warren did, Sulamain also outlined a delay to the fight.
“Everything is ready for the first undisputed title fight in twenty years when Fury faces Oleksandr Usyk on a date to be defined.
“It was speculated that it would be December 23. But after the tough, full-duration fight that Fury had, it will surely be moved to 2024,” added Sulaiman.
