Francis Ngannou officially ranked #10 by WBC
Just a few short weeks after his split decision loss to Tyson Fury, former UFC champion Francis Ngannou has been ranked tenth by the WBC. N’Gannou took Fury to the brink and knocked him down in round three.
Heavyweight
Champion: 🔰Tyson Fury🔰
1.Deontay Wilder
2.Anthony Joshua
3.Arslanbek Makhmudov
4.Frank Sanchez
5.Efe Ajagba
6.Jared Anderson
7.Martin Bakole
8.Joseph Parker
9.Otto Wallin
10.Francis Ngannou#wbcuzbekistan23— World Boxing Council (@WBCBoxing) November 15, 2023
Francis Ngannou disrupting boxing?
Few gave Francis Ngannou a shot against Tyson Fury, who has looked elite since his return. Many, this writer included, felt as if we’ve seen this fight three times already with Deontay Wilder. Fury won two of those three fights with the first being a draw.
Factor in that Conor McGregor came up quite short against Floyd Mayweather, and the Ngannou-Fury fight seemed like a recipe for disaster.
Instead, Francis Ngannou fought very well against the lineal heavyweight champion and nearly took that title from him. But he came up short.
The WBC, however, didn’t fail to recognize his skills and slid him right into their rankings where he belongs.
Rumors have swirled for a potential fight between Ngannou and Derek Chisora but Ngannou said he’s looking for a bigger fight than that. The problem is of the top 10, the biggest names have been booked.
Tyson Fury is set to face Oleksandr Usyk on February to unify the division. Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder are booked against Otto Wallin and Joseph Parker respectively.
Zhilei Zhang is the best bet. He holds the interim WBO heavyweight title and two wins over Joe Joyce. The title and prestige could be enough for Ngannou to face off with the Chinese champion.
PFL founder Donn Davis has also stated that while Francis Ngannou is signed to fight MMA for the PFL, he believes that “The Predator” should fight in boxing next. He cites the massive momentum built after the fight with Tyson Fury.
The future for Francis Ngannou may be uncertain, but it is assuredly bright.
