World heavyweight champion Tyson Fury beat mixed martial arts fighter Francis Ngannou in a split decision after their boxing bout went the distance in Saudi Arabia on Sunday.
Ngannou knocked Fury down in round three but the 35-year-old British fighter, though shaken, was able to continue.
The undefeated Fury earlier this week laughed off his opponent as a โbig fat sausageโ but afterwards acknowledged that the 37-year-old Cameroonian had effectively kept him off-balance.
โHeโs a very awkward man, and heโs a good puncher and I respect him a lot,โ Fury said of Ngannou, adding that it was โprobably one of the toughestโ fights he has had in a decade.
Fury was the overwhelming favourite against boxing novice Ngannou.
โThis was my first boxing match, great experience โ- Iโm not giving any excuse,โ Ngannou said in a ringside interview.
โI know I come up short, Iโm going to come back and work harderโฆ now I know I can do this.โ
Furyโs WBC heavyweight belt was not on the line in the โBattle of the Baddestโ in the Saudi capital Riyadh, but Saudi officials nevertheless hoped it would further boost the Gulf kingdomโs reputation as a top-flight boxing destination.
With all parties desperate to lend the contest some sporting legitimacy, the WBC had fashioned a โRiyadh Championโ belt to allow the winner to strut around the ring at the end with something other than a big, fat pay cheque.
Fury has been linked with a ยฃ50 million ($60.6 million) payout from Sundayโs exhibition bout, while he has said in the British press that Ngannou will earn ยฃ10 million.
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