Francis Ngannou has been installed in the WBC’s top 10 ranking of heavyweight contenders.
It was a decision that attracted criticism. A mixed martial artist and former UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou lost a split decision to Tyson Fury in a non-title bout in October.
That was his first, and so far only, boxing contest. But Ngannou is now ranked as the WBC’s no 10 below Otto Wallin and above Filip Hrgovic.
But WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman justified the decision thanks to Ngannou’s performance in his 10-rounder against Fury, who holds the WBC heavyweight title.
“First of all it is based on the rules. The WBC rules for the ratings criteria has many parameters; record, activity, level of opposition and other matters including activity in amateur boxing, Olympic boxing or any other contact sport,” Sulaiman told Sky Sports.
“We have ranked many fighters from Thailand who have had a successful Muay Thai or Thai boxing career and they enter into professional boxing.
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“We have so many precedents.”
Sulaiman also pointed to the memorable knockdown against Fury that Ngannou scored in the third round.
“For Ngannou to enter the rankings, it’s supported by the rules. But who can, in their state of mind, go against Ngannou being ranked? He dropped Tyson, the best heavyweight champion of today in boxing and he lost a split decision against the champion,” Sulaiman said.
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“So who can go against that? It is only to make controversy. So if they see that it is within the rules and they see the performance he had, there is no controversy putting him No 10 in the rankings.
“It was amazing. He has a big chin, a huge chin, tremendous punching power and he was very clean. He boxed. There was a concern that he would get to the tactics of mixed martial arts. No, he did a tremendous fight.
“He’s humble and he’s hardworking. I’m very proud of the decision by the WBC.”
