With the UFC on a break until next year, combat sports fans have been buzzing after the controversial rematch between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk on December 21 in Saudi Arabia. The thrilling 12-round showdown ended with the Ukranian claiming a disputed victory. ‘The Gypsy King’, outraged by the judges’ scorecards, which gave the Ukranian a 116-112 win, accused them of “robbery” and claimed the undefeated had received a “Christmas present.” Since then, the combat sports world has divided, with some supporting Fury’s accusations and others backing the reigning champion’s win.

Amid the controversy, former UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub, on his ‘Thiccc Boy’ YouTube channel, offered his perspective. Although a fan of Fury, Schaub acknowledged that the British heavyweight lost the fight, saying, “The first fight was definitely closer.” He downplayed the controversy surrounding the bout and praised Fury’s preparation. Schaub stated, “Fury got better, made adjustments, and came in phenomenal shape. His biggest adjustment was his defense—he didn’t get hit with big punches like he did in the first fight. But Usyk… he got better too.”

Schaub further explained that while Tyson Fury performed at a “9 out of 10 in the rematch”, Oleksandr Usyk was at a perfect “10 out of 10”, emphasizing, “You’re just not going to beat him.” ‘The Gypsy King’, since his professional debut in 2008, had remained undefeated with dominant victories over fighters like Deontay Wilder and Wladimir Klitschko.

The British heavyweight’s fortunes began to shift with setbacks, particularly in his back-to-back bouts against Oleksandr Usyk. Despite Fury’s protests, the boxing world largely refrains from labeling the fight as controversial or a “robbery.” Francis Ngannou, Fury’s former opponent, also offered his thoughts on the situation.

For the unversed, his crossover fight with the former UFC heavyweight champion last year raised the stakes. Although Fury won, Ngannou, despite his limited boxing experience, gave Fury a head-to-head challenge. Let’s take a look at what Ngannou had to say.

Francis Ngannou’s honest take on Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk showdown

The main point of contention in the controversy surrounding the Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk fight wasn’t just the judges’ scorecards but also the introduction of an AI-based scoring system, an experiment led by Saudi sports official Turki Al Sheikh. This system awarded the undefeated Ukrainian a score of 118-112, creating a notable discrepancy when compared to the human judges’ score of 116-112 in favor of Usyk.

The reigning champion endorsed this system during the post-fight press conference, but it led to further criticism from ‘The Gypsy King’, who raised doubts about the reliability of the AI-generated score. Amidst this debate, who better to offer an honest perspective on the result than former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou? Initially, a supporter of Tyson Fury, ‘The Predator’ expressed his confusion after the fight, describing it as “close.”

While he opposed the use of AI in sports scoring, Ngannou didn’t view the outcome as a ‘Robbery’ against the British heavyweight. He shared, “I would have scored the fight closer than that. Maybe Usyk could have still won. At the end of the fight, I wasn’t sure there was a clear winner—it could’ve gone either way. From my scorecard, it was closer than that.”

How do you feel about the Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk fight? Do you think December 21 was meant to be ‘The Gypsy King’s’ night, or was the Ukrainian boxer in peak form? If you were a judge, how would you have scored this 12-round bout? Share your thoughts below.