December 17, 2023
Source: Boxing Scene
Photo Source: Boxing Scene
World Boxing Council President Maurico Sulaiman has come out in defense of the WBC's decision to issue a top-ten ranking to MMA veteran Francis Ngannou.
Back in October, Ngannou made his professional boxing debut in a non-title boxing match with WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.
In what many felt would be a complete mismatch, Ngannou came close to shocking the world.
He shockingly dropped Fury in the third round, and then made it a very competitive fight for the entire ten rounds.
Fury walked away with a razor-close split decision win, with scores of 95-94 and 96-93, while a third judge saw it for Ngannou with a tally of 95-94.
The unexpected performance influenced the WBC to give Ngannou a ranking in the number 10 position.
And Sulaiman believes the WBC's decision is completely justified.
"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. We have so many precedents.
"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. 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 number 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."
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